""'"■" 


PRINCETON,     N.     J. 


BM    502     .H4    1880 

Talmud. 

A  Talmudic   miscellany 


THE 

ENGLISH   AND   FOREIGN 

PHILOSOPHICAL   LIBRARY. 


VOLUME  XIX. 


X 


TALMUDIC   MISCELLANY 

"  He  who  counts  the  number."— Psalm  cxlvii.  4. 


&  JHjouganti  anti  ©ne  Extracts 

PROM 

THE    TALMUD 
THE   M1DRASHIM   AND   THE  KABBALAH 

COMPILED  AND  TRANSLATED  BY 

PAUL    ISAAC    HE  ESHON 

AUTHOR  OF 
"  GENESIS  ACCORDING  TO  THE  TALMUD,"  "  EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  TALMUD,"  KTO. 

WITH  INTRODUCTORY  PREFACE  BY  THE 

REV.   F.   W.   FARRAR,   D.D.,   F.R.S. 

CHAPLAIN    IN    ORDINARY   TO    HER   MAJESTY,    AND   CANON   OF   WESTMINSTER. 

Wiiti)  Mom  ant)  Coptoit0  Kntiejces 


BOSTON 
HOUGHTON,    MIFFLIN    &    CO. 


HSO.LOGIC&L* 

PREFACE. 


I  have  been  requested  by  the  publishers  and  translator 
of  this  Talmudic  Miscellany  to  say  a  few  words  about  it 
by  way  of  preface.  If  I  have  consented  to  their  request, 
it  is  only  because  I  feel  a  very  deep  sense  of  the  import- 
ance of  making  the  Talmud  more  widely  known. 

Of  the  constituent  parts  of  the  Talmud — of  the  Mishna 
with  its  six  orders  (Scdarim),  its  71  Massictoth,  its  633 
Pcrakim,  and  its  4187  Mishnaioth — the  reader  will  find  a 
succinct  account  in  the  following  introduction.  A  con- 
siderable part  of  the  Mishna  has  been  at  different  times 
translated  into  English  and  other  modern  languages,  and 
to  many  theologians  it  has  been  known  as  a  whole  by  the 
magnificent  work  of  Surenhusius. 

But  until  very  recent  times  the  Gemara,  or  annotations 
upon  the  Mishna,  have  been  known  to  very  few.  The 
chief  sources  of  information  used  by  English  theologians 
have  been,  until  quite  recently,  the  collections  of  Light- 
foot,  Schottgen,  and  Meuschen,  and  passages  quoted  and 
referred  to  in  Ugolini's  Thesaurus,  together  with  such  purely 
controversial  works  like  Wagenseil's  Tela  Ignea  Satance,  and 
Eisenmenojer's  Entdecktes  Judentlmm.    These  works  were 


PREFACE. 

little  read  except  by  students,  since  they  were  written  in 
German  and  Latin,  and  never  entered  into  general  litera- 
ture. Had  it  been  otherwise,  the  mass  of  English  readers 
would  never  have  been  prepared  to  accept  the  utterly  un- 
tenable notions  about  the  Talmud,  and  the  glowing  wisdom 
and  exquisite  morality  by  which  it  was  supposed  to  be 
pervaded,  into  which  they  were  betrayed  by  the  learned 
enthusiasm  of  the  late  Dr.  Deutsch  in  his  celebrated  article 
on  the  Talmud  in  the  "  Quarterly  Beview."  So  simple 
an  English  book  as  the  late  Dr.  M'Caul's  "  Old  Paths  " 
might  have  sufficed  to  undeceive  them.  Wisdom  there 
is  in  the  Talmud,  and  eloquence,  and  high  morality ;  of 
this  the  reader  may  learn  something  even  in  the  small 
compass  of  the  following  pages.  How  could  it  be  other- 
wise when  we  bear  in  mind  that  the  Talmud  fills  twelve 
large  folio  volumes,  and  represents  the  main  literature  of 
a  nation  during  several  hundred  years  ?  But  yet  I  ven- 
ture to  say  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  find  less  wisdom, 
less  eloquence,  and  less  high  morality,  imbedded  in  a 
vaster  bulk  of  what  is  utterly  valueless  to  mankind — to 
say  nothing  of  those  parts  of  it  which  are  indelicate  and 
even  obscene — in  any  other  national  literature  of  the 
same  extent.  And  even  of  the  valuable  residuum  of  true 
and  holy  thoughts,  I  doubt  whether  there  is  even  one 
which  had  not  long  been  anticipated,  and  which  is  not 
found  more  nobly  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testament. 

It  is  now  in  the  power  of  any  one  to  verify  this  state- 
ment for  himself.  Strange  to  say,  the  Talmud  as  a  whole 
has  never  yet  been  translated  into  any  other  language 


PREFACE. 

from  the  original  Hebrew.  Every  attempt  to  achieve  the 
task  has  hitherto  failed,  and  the  proposals  to  publish  a 
complete  translation  have  from  time  to  time  been  aban- 
doned for  want  of  encouragement.  Isolated  treatises  like 
the  Avoda  Zara  and  the  Pirhc  Avoth  have  been  trans- 
lated into  English  and  German;  but  when  the  Abbe 
Chiarini  and  others  have  endeavoured  to  get  the  whole 
Mishna  and  Gemara  systematically  translated,  they  have 
not  met  with  the  smallest  encouragement.  At  the  present 
time,  however,  it  seems  probable  that  the  immense  work 
will  be  accomplished.  Messrs.  Munk,  Schwab,  and  their 
learned  collaborateurs  have  now  published  in  French  the 
translation  of  the  very  important  treatise  Berachoth,  and 
of  five  or  six  other  treatises  of  the  Mishna,  with  both  the 
Jerusalem  and  the  Babylonian  Gemara.  Thus  it  seems 
probable  that  these  strange  and  venerable  tomes,  so  long 
buried  in  the  most  difficult  style  of  a  dead  language,  will 
for  the  first  time  appear  as  a  whole  in  a  modern  dress. 
It  is  greatly  to  be  hoped  that  sufficient  purchasers  may 
be  found  to  render  possible  the  heroic  effort  which  these 
scholars  have  undertaken. 

If  the  whole  Talmud  should  thus  be  rendered  accessible 
to  modern  readers,  I  cannot  but  think  that  two  good 
results  will  follow.  On  the  one  hand,  it  can  hardly  fail 
to  happen  that  multitudes  of  intelligent  and  thoughtful 
Jews,  to  whom  the  Talmud  is,  after  all,  but  a  name,  will  be 
entirely  disenchanted  of  the  extravagant  veneration  which 
they  now  entertain  for  it,  and  will  see  for  the  first  time  its 
absolutely  immeasurable  inferiority  to  the  living  oracles  of 
God.     They  will  see  that  what  they  have  so  long  been  wor- 


PREFACE. 

shipping  is  not  even  a  golden  idol  with  feet  of  clay,  but  an 
idol  of  clay  of  which  it  can  hardly  even  be  said  that  so 
much  as  the  feet  are  of  gold.  On  the  other  hand,  I  am 
quite  sure  that  all  students,  in  reading  the  Talmud,  will 
find  many  sidelights  for  the  interpretation  not  only  of 
the  Old  but  even  of  the  New  Testament.  Not  only  does 
the  Talmud  furnish  many  most  interesting  illustrations  of 
the  thoughts  and  words  of  the  Apostles,  but  there  are 
cases  in  which  the  key  to  the  true  solution  of  difficulties 
and  the  true  interpretation  of  phrases  and  expressions  can 
only  be  found  in  these  records  of  the  Eabbinic  schools. 
For  the  greatest  of  the  Apostles  had  been  trained  from 
childhood  in  this  Hebrew  lore;  and  even  those  of  the 
Twelve  who  were  despised  by  the  hierarchy  as  "  simple 
and  unlearned"  were  in  some  measure  familiar  with  it, 
because  even  in  the  days  of  Christ  the  views  of  those 
elder  Rabbis  which  are  enshrined  in  the  Mishna  and 
Gemara,  had  passed  into  the  common  atmosphere  of 
Jewish  thought. 

For  these  reasons  I  hail  the  labours  of  Mr.  Hershon. 
He  is,  I  believe,  fitted  for  the  task  which  he  has  under- 
taken by  an  almost  life-long  familiarity  with  Talmudic 
literature ;  and  the  adequacy  of  his  versions  no  less  than 
the  extent  of  his  knowledge  have  been  admitted  not  only 
by  scholars  so  eminent  as  Dr.  Delitzsch — whose  name 
should  alone  be  a  guarantee  to  theologians  that  Mr.  Her- 
shon is  qualified  for  his  work  —  but  also  by  the  free 
admission  of  Jewish  critics.  And  the  reader  may  accept 
his  versions  without  suspicion,  because  though  they  may 
not  always   be  exempt  from  those  imperfections  which 


PREFACE. 

must  remain  in  the  best  human  work,  yet  they  are  not 
directly  controversial,  and  are  merely  intended  to  repre- 
sent the  Talmud  exactly  as  he  finds  it.  Tor  this  reason  the 
notes  which  he  has  appended  have,  for  the  most  part,  no 
other  object  than  to  elucidate  the  text.  And  here  I  must 
caution  the  reader  who  is  entirely  unfamiliar  with  Bab- 
binic  methods,  that  he  must  not  at  once  set  down  any 
particular  passage  as  a  proof  of  nothing  but  the  grossest 
absurdity  of  uncontrolled  imagination.  When  he  reads 
such  a  passage  as  the  story  of  Og  king  of  Bashan  on  p. 
41,  and  still  more  that  about  his  "bone,  on  p.  66 — not  to 
allude  to  others  which  are  here  recorded — he  may  be 
inclined  to  turn  away  with  contemptuous  disgust,  and  to 
wonder  that  any  human  beings  should  waste  their  time 
over  such  absurdities.  He  will,  however,  be  mistaken. 
Although  this  is  not  the  place  to  furnish  the  real  mean- 
ing of  such  passages,  the  reader  must  take  it  on  trust 
that,  sometimes  at  least,  they  are  elaborate  cryptographs — 
concealed  methods  of  inculcating;  into  the  initiated  those 
polemical  views  which  the  Eabbis  might  have  found 
it  most  perilous  to  utter  in  an  undisguised  form. 

Lastly,  we  may  observe  that  the  purely  accidental  bond 
of  connection  between  the  many  passages  here  translated 
by  Mr.  Hershon — the  very  discontinuity  which  might  at 
first  sight  be  regarded  as  a  weak  feature  in  his  book — is 
really  of  the  greatest  value.  It  absolutely  excludes  the 
temptation  to  all  arbitrary  selection, — to  any  one-sided 
representation  of.  the  contents  of  the  Talmud  in  order 
to  serve  a  purpose.  The  passages  selected  are  selected 
solely  because  they  contain  references  to  certain  numlcrs. 


PREFACE. 

There  is  not  a  single  principle  which  otherwise  unites 
them  together.  This  very  fact  will  be  a  security  to  the 
reader  that  he  will  see  specimens  of  the  Talmud  exactly 
as  he  would  do  if  he  possessed  a  knowledge  of  Talmudic 
Hebrew,  and  dipped  at  haphazard  into  its  voluminous 
pages  in  order  to  ascertain  for  himself  their  character  and 
contents.  No  competent  student  can  rise  without  some 
advantage  from  the  perusal  of  these  pages.  They  will 
do  something  to  make  the  Gemara  better  known,  and 
that  knowledge  will,  I  hope,  be  still  further  extended  by 
Mr.  Hershon  in  future  labours. 

F.  W.  FAREAE. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 


In  bespeaking  the  regard  of  the  English  public  to  the 
following  work,  the  general  nature  of  which  is  already 
explicitly  enough  stated  on  the  titlepage,  I  feel  called 
upon  to  explain  the  object  I  have  had  in  view  in  com- 
piling it,  the  circumstances  in  which  it  was  suggested 
to  me,  and  the  plan  I  have  seen  good  to  adopt. 

The  Talmud  of  the  Jews,  like  the  Koran  of  the  Moslem, 
is  a  composition  so  confused  and  heterogeneous,  that,  were 
its  twelve  folio  volumes  translated  into  English,  not  only 
would  it  prove  unreadable  throughout,  but  not  one  in 
a  thousand  would  have  patience  to  read  consecutively 
the  first  twelve  pages.  It  is  this  fact,  of  which,  as  will 
appear,*  the  Talmud  itself  is  aware,  I  have  had  to  face ;  and 
my  object  has  been,  if  not  to  overcome,  then  to  diminish 
to  some  extent  this  drawback.  It  is  with  this  view 
the  following  selections  are  made,  and  I  have  striven  to 
arrange  them  on  a  principle  which  I  trust  may  contribute 
to  awaken  a  greater  interest  in  and  convey  a  better  under- 
standing of  its  contents. 

The  special  circumstances  which  suggested  the  com- 
pilation were  these.  -  In  the  reading-room  of  the  British 
Museum,  many  years  ago,  I  happened  to  light  upon  a 
Hebrew  book  containing  no  fewer  than  seventy  sermons 

*  See  p.  23.  No.  15. 


vi  PREFACE. 

on  the  short  text  (Gen.  xxxiii.  17)  H/DD  #D3  ^>T\  the 
English  of  which  is,  "  And  Jacob  journeyed  to  Succoth." 
This  book  at  once  struck  me  as  a  typical  instance  of  the 
treatment  to  which  the  Talmud  had  for  long  been,  and 
was  still,  subjected  at  the  hands  of  its  professed  ex- 
pounders. Their  mode  of  procedure  was  this:  First  to 
pick  out  at  random  a  passage  torn  from  the  context,  and 
then,  to  use  an  Oriental  phrase,  pack  upon  it  a  camel- 
load  of  matter.  This  passage  they  so  sermonised  upon 
that  not  only  was  its  sense  hidden  in  a  miscellaneous 
jumble  of  irrelevant  comments,  corollaries,  and  glosses, 
but  the  fact  of  its  existence  was  buried  out  of  sight, 
like  the  sunk  foundations  of  an  edifice,  and  the  book  it 
was  extracted  from  entombed  along  with  it.  The  world- 
old  question,  "  What  is  the  Talmud  ? "  I  remarked  to 
myself,  could  never  be  resolved  in  this  way,  and  I  deter- 
mined to  try  whether  I  could  not  disturb  the  ashes  under 
which  it  lay  concealed,  and,  if  not  bring  it  home,  at  least 
bring  it  near  to  the  general  intelligence.  The  way  to  do 
this  seemed  to  me  to  be  to  make  the  Talmud  speak  for  itself ; 
to  select  and  array  from  its  pages  a  thousand  quotations 
or  so,  such  as  to  show  both  the  topics  of  which  it  treats 
and  its  manner  of  handling  and  settling  them.  This, 
accordingly,  is  what  I  have  attempted  here.  Samples 
of  the  good,  the  bad,  and  the  indifferent,  especially  extracts 
that  throw  light  011  Old  and  New  Testament  exegesis,  are 
alike  introduced,  and  references  are  studiously  given  to 
the  folios  and  columns  of  its  sections,  so  that  the  learned 
can  check  and  verify  the  instances  I  have  quoted.  These 
instances  have  been  all  derived  word  for  word,  and  at 
first  hand,  from  the  Talmud  itself,  and  the  original  has 
been  consulted  again  and  again  to  ensure  accuracy  of 
reproduction.    There  is  scarcely  a  treatise,  or  even  chapter 


PREFACE.  vii 

in  the  Talmud,  which  has  not  been  laid  under  contribution 
to  my  purpose,  and  reference  can  be  readily  made  to  the 
quotations  in  the  work  by  means  of  the  peculiar  arrange- 
ment adopted,  and  the  two  carefully  prepared  indexes  at 
the  end  of  the  volume. 

The  plan  of  the  work,  according  to  which  the  quota- 
tions are  sorted  and  grouped  agreeably  to  the  prominency 
in  them  of  particular  numbers,  on  which  special  stress 
is  laid,  was  suggested  to  me  years  ago  when  I  was  en- 
gaged in  a  different  enterprise.  I  had  published  a  work 
on  the  Talmud  in  Hebrew,  entitled  "  Genesis  according  to 
the  Talmud,"  *  and  was  engaged  on  a  second  in  continua- 
tion, to  be  entitled  "  Exodus  according  to  the  Talmud," 
since  completed  in  MS.,  when,  apropos  to  the  text  (Exod. 
xxiii.  26),  "  The  number  of  thy  days  I  will  fulfil,"  I  was 
led  to  remark,  which  I  did  in  a  note,  what  a  prominent 
part  numerical  quantities  played  in  Talmudic  estimates ; 
and  I  collected  there  and  then  350  quotations  from  the 
Babylonian  Talmud  all  bearing  on  numbers,  which  I 
thereupon  proceeded  to  arrange  in  proper  order.  When 
on  the  Continent,  about  four  years  ago,  I  took  the  oppor- 
tunity of  showing  the  Hebrew  MS.  referred  to  to  several 
scholars,  and  of  calling  especial  attention  to  the  note  in 
question.  All  were  struck  with  the  discovery  I  had  made 
as  a  literary  curiosity,  and  Dr.  Delitzsch  of  Leipsig,  in 
particular,  was  pleased  to  say  he  even  admired  it.  He 
asked  me  how  I  had  managed  to  collect  so  many  quo- 
tations to  the  point,  and  I  replied  by  producing  a  MS. 
I  had  prepared  by  way  of  key  to  the  Talmud.  En- 
couraged by  his  approving  criticism,  I  set  myself,  on  my 
return,  in  the  course  of  my  Talmudic  labours,  to  extend 

*  An  English  translation  of  this  work  is  already  in  print,  and  will  be  pub- 
lished in  due  time. 


viii  PREFACE. 

my  researches  in  the  direction  indicated,  and  the  result 
was  the  expansion  of  my  note  into  a  body  of  more  than 
1600  quotations,  enough  to  occupy  a  volume.  Hence  the 
present  venture,  and  the  peculiar  arrangement  adopted. 
This  arrangement  I  take  leave  to  think  is  warranted  by 
the  obvious  emphasis  laid  on  numbers  in  the  selected 
passages;  it  becomes  thus  an  arrangement  natural  in 
itself,  and  it  supplies  a  series  of  threads  along  which 
these  passages,  when  once  read,  easily  group  themselves 
in  the  memory. 

In  carrying  the  plan  of  this  work  out,  it  was  necessary 
for  me,  as  a  foreigner,  to  procure  the  aid  of  an  English 
scholar,  and  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  obtain  the  services 
of  one  who  wrought  aloncj  with  me  with  all  his  heart 
Mr.  W.  E.  Brown,  the  gentleman  I  refer  to,  became  known 
to  me  about  the  time  the  idea  of  the  work  occurred  to  me ; 
he  caught  up  my  project  with  enthusiasm,  offered  gratui- 
tously the  assistance  I  needed,  and  stood  by  me,  helping 
me  in  every  way  to  the  last.  He  aided  me  in  revising 
and  correcting  my  translation,  enriched  the  text  with 
many  of  the  notes,  and  crowned  the  numerous  obliga- 
tions I  owe  to  him  by  contributing  an  Introduction  to 
the  work,  which  Introduction,  I  trust,  will  be  duly  and 
generously  appreciated.  I,  moreover,  desire  to  express 
my  obligations  to  the  Eev.  J.  Wood,  Ediri.,  for  the  lite- 
rary service  he  has  rendered  to  this  work  in  revising  and 
correcting  it,  and  passing  it  through  the  press,  and  for 
providing  it  with  one  of  the  two  indexes  appended. 

Besides  the  selections  just  referred  to,  I  have  added  a 
few  specimens  from  the  Midrashim  and  the  Kabbalah, 
which  I  have  thought  might  prove  interesting  to  the 
student  of  Hebrew  literature,  as,  next  to  the  Talmud  and 
the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  these  two  storehouses  of 


PREFACE.  ix 

Babbinical  lore  are  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  the 
orthodox  Jews. 

In  sending  this  work  forth  to  the  public,  I  desire  espe- 
cially to  gain  the  ear  of  the  pious  Jew,  the  Christian 
student,  and  the  philosophic  thinker.  By  means  of  this 
work  the  Jew  will  be  able  to  see  his  teachers  with  his  own 
eyes  (Isa.  xxx.  20),  and  to  judge  for  himself  whether  they 
are  or  are  not  able  to  make  him  wise  unto  salvation ;  the 
Christian  student  will  enjoy  the  advantage  of  being  able 
to  scan  as  much  of  the  sea  of  the  Talmud  as  can,  so  to 
speak,  be  seen  from  the  shore,  though  he  may  not  be  able 
to  venture  out  upon  the  main,  still  less  essay  a  voyage 
through  the  length  and  breadth  of  it ;  and  the  philosophic 
thinker,  be  he  Jew,  Turk,  infidel,  or  heretic,  will  have 
access  in  it  to  forms  of  morality  and  humanity  which  he 
has  not  met  before  in  any  other  religious  system.  But  be 
that  as  it  may,  our  enterprise  is  conceived  in  the  interests 
of  scholarship,  morality,  and  religion,  and  these  interests, 
whether  by  our  means  or  not,  it  is  our  prayer  that  the 
Lord  may  prosper. 

P.  I.  HERSHON. 

Wood  Green,  October  18S0. 


wwrvm 


In  Eastern  story  we  read  of  a  dervisli  who  one  day  pre- 
sented himself  at  a  palace  porch,  begging  bread.  The 
porter  opened  the  door,  beckoned  him  to  enter,  and  had 
him  conducted,  full  of  expectancy,  into  the  presence  of 
the  prince.  The  prince,  who  was  a  grey-haired  Barme- 
cide chief,  received  him  compassionately,  and  made  signs 
as  if  in  preparation  for  a  sumptuous  repast.  Course  after 
course  was  ordered,  and  course  after  course  spread — in 
imagination  —  before  the  hungry  visitant.  Imaginary 
soups,  fish,  flesh,  bakemeats,  fruits  were  ceremoniously 
offered,  partaken  of  with  show  of  relish,  and  acknowledged 
with  thanks.  At  length  the  host  called  for  wine,  as  unreal 
as  the  viands,  and  offered  it  to  the  stranger,  who  this  time 
politely  declined,  protesting  that  he  dreaded  the  conse- 
quences should  he  take  too  much.  Being  pressed,  how- 
ever, he  yielded,  until,  affecting  elation  of  spirit  under  the 
influence  of  the  fancied  liquor,  he  rose  excited,  and  dealt 
a  blow  at  his  entertainer  which  had  almost  fatal  results. 
The  host,  thus  admonished,  and  pleased  with  the  humour 
of  his  guest,  thought  it  time  this  banter  should  terminate  ; 
so  he  called  his  servants  to  make  ready  a  banquet,  and 
the  two  sat  down  together  to  a  substantial  and  satisfying 
feast. 

Feasts  of  the  Barmecide  order  are  not  uncommon  in 
literature,  and  too  often  the  hungry  reader  has  to  satisfy 
his  appetite  with  the  ghost  of  relief.  It  is  thus  the  public 
has  been  treated  with  regard  to  the  Talmud ;  it  has  again 


xii  INTRODUCTION. 

and  again  been  referred  to,  quoted  from,  spoken  of,  and 
written  about,  until  we  fancy  we  are  familiar  with  it ;  and 
yet  as  regards  what  it  concerns,  where  it  comes  from,  and 
what  it  says,  we  are  wholly  in  the  dark.  In  the  extracts 
which  follow  this  Introduction  we  have  sought  to  remove 
in  part  this  ignorance,  and  in  the  Introduction  itself  it 
will  be  our  business  to  give  some  account  of  what  the 
Talmud  is,  how  it  is  divided,  and  of  what  it  treats. 

The  Talmud  (l^bn,  from  lob,  "  to  learn ")  is  a  vast 
irregular  repertory  of  Eabbinical  reflections,  discussions, 
and  animadversions  on  a  myriad  of  topics  treated  of  or 
touched  on  in  Holy  Writ ;  a  treasury,  in  chaotic  arrange- 
ment, of  Jewish  lore,  scientific,  legal,  and  legendary;  a 
great  storehouse  of  extra-biblical,  yet  biblically  referable, 
Jewish  speculation,  fancy,  and  faith.  Taking  the  Old 
Testament  Scriptures  as  a  divinely  inspired  text-book  of 
knowledge  and  learning,  the  Talmud  claims  to  be  a  com- 
mentary on  these  of  co-ordinate  rank  with  the  texts  and 
the  orthodox  expositor  of  their  meaning,  bearing,  and 
force. 

The  Talmud  proper  is  throughout  of  a  twofold  character, 
and  consists  of  two  divisions,  severally  called  the  Mishna 
and  the  Gemara.  These  terms  are  so  closely  related  to 
one  another  as  to  be  of  almost  synonymous  import.  Mishna 
(rUTO)  being  from  ruttf  or  \3J"1,  "  to  repeat,  to  explain,  to 
unfold ; "  and  Gemara  (N"lD:i),  from  ")D2,  "  to  learn  "  or  "  to 
complete."  The  Mishna,  in  this  connection,  may  be  re- 
garded as  the  text  of  the  Talmud  itself,  and  the  Gemara  as 
a  sort  of  commentary,  of  which  examples  will  be  given  as 
we  proceed.  The  Gemara  regularly  follows  the  Mishna, 
and  annotates  upon  it  sentence  by  sentence,  searching 
out  its  meaning,  arraying  the  pros  and  cons  in  debatable 
cases,  then  summing  up  results,  and  deciding,  if  possible, 
the  point  at  issue ;  a  blp  D2,  Bath  Kol,  or  "  voice  from 
heaven,"  at  times  interposing,  and  either  ratifying  the 
decision  or  otherwise  settling  the  matter  in  debate.  The 
Mishna,  except  where  it  commences  a  Perek  (or  chapter), 


INTRODUCTION.  xiii 

is  invariably  introduced  by  the  sign- word  '\3J1Q,  while  the 
abbreviation  'D3  (for  N~)DJ)  the  sign  of  a  sentence  from 
the  Gemara.  Besides  the  Mishna  proper  as  text,  a  great 
number  of  supplementary  paragraphs,  styled  Tosiphtaoth 
and  Boraithaoth,  are  scattered  up  and  down  the  Gemara ; 
but  these  are  not  looked  upon  as  authoritative,  and,  indeed, 
are  of  no  account  if  they  contradict  the  Mishna  or  text. 
The  Tosiphtaoth  (mN/lSDin,  from  *p\  "  to  add  ")  are  dis- 
tinguished by  the  prefix  *OJ")  or  $2X11  (Tana),  "  he  teaches," 
or  nby  ^Nj"i  (Tani  aleh),  "  as  taught  above ; "  while  the 
Boraitha  is  indicated  by  one  or  other  of  the  following 
signs : — 1"D  or  ]221  "OJ1  (Tanu  Babbanan),  "  our  Babbis 
have  taught : "  NlfT  \3J1  (Tani  chada),  "  a  certain  Babbi 
has  taught ; "  XT2D  (Tanina),  "  we  have  tradition  ; "  K^D 
"JTN  (Taniah  idach),  "elsewhere  it  is  taught,"  or  "  another 
teaches ; "  or  NJTJDD  (Mathnitha),  "  it  is  Mishna."  The 
Tosiphtaoth  to  the  Mishna  are  distinct  from  the  Tosephoth, 
or  exegetical  annotations  on  the  Gemara.  Twenty-six  of 
the  treatises  have  no  Gemara,  and  Shekalim  has  the 
Gemara  of  the  Talmud  Yerushalmi. 

There  are  two  Talmuds,  the  Yerushalmi,  or,  more  cor- 
rectly, the  Balestinian,  and  the  Babli,  that  is,  the  Baby- 
lonian. The  Mishna  is  pretty  nearly  the  same  in  both 
these,  but  the  Gemaras  are  different.  The  Talmud  Yeru- 
shalmi gives  the  traditional  sayings  of  the  Balestinian 
Babbis,  X1"1^D  ^221  Xl?22,  the  "  Gemara  of  the  Children 
of  the  West,"  as  it  is  styled ;  whereas  the  Talmud  Babli 
gives  the  traditional  sayings  of  the  Babbis  of  Babylon. 
This  Talmud  is  about  four  times  the  size  of  the  Jerusalem 
one ;  it  is  by  far  the  more  popular,  and  to  it  almost  exclu- 
sively our  remarks  relate. 

What,  then,  is  the  Talmud  Babli?  It  is  in  itself  a 
library  of  some  threescore  and  ten  treatises,  so  to  speak, 
bound  in  a  dozen  volumes.  It  is  a  sort  of  commonplace- 
book,  recording  a  thousand  and  one  years  of  Babbinical 
thought  and  wit,  with  folk-lore  and  gossip,  often  quaintly 
expressed  in  the  allegorical  forms  of  Oriental  fancy.   There 


xiv  INTRODUCTION. 

are  worthies  in  it  to  grace  every  day  in  the  calendar,  and 
sayings  ascribed  to  some  of  them  enough  to  invest  with  a 
certain  halo  of  immortality  their  otherwise  unnoted  names. 
Here  is  the  mother- stuff  of  Judaism,  the  fountain-head 
of  its  inspirations,  the  key  to  its  philosophy  and  forms 
of  thinking,  the  fire  that  burns  on  its  altars,  and  the 
vestal  flame  that  lights  up  and  cheers  its  far-scattered 
hearths.  ISTay,  the  "  traditions  of  the  elders,"  which  are 
here  sacredly  enshrined,  impart  to  the  pile,  in  the  regard  of 
the  pious  Jew,  somewhat  of  the  sanctity  of  a  Temple,  and 
a  feeling  as  if  not  the  high  priest  only,  but  the  whole  race 
were  thereby  admitted  within  the  precincts  of  the  Holy 
of  Holies  itself.  For  here,  within  a  veil  which  no  pro- 
fane person  can  penetrate,  he  is  privileged,  he  thinks,  to 
be  admitted  to  a  knowledge  of  the  secrets  of  wisdom,  and 
a  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  oracles  of  the  Most 
High ;  here  is  the  law  for  the  man  of  thought  and  the 
man  of  action,  the  law  of  the  household  and  the  law  of  the 
state,  directions  for  the  health  of  the  body,  the  attainment 
of  wise  knowledge,  the  conquest  of  virtue,  and  the  conduct 
of  life. 

To  the  orthodox  Jew  the  Talmud  is  like  the  encircling 
ocean ;  it  inserts  itself  into  and  makes  itself  felt  in  every 
nook  and  corner  of  the  sphere  of  his  existence.  Like  an 
atmosphere,  it  encompasses  the  whole  round  of  his  being, 
penetrates  into  all  centres  of  vitality,  and  presses  with  its 
incumbent  weight  on  every  class  irrespective  of  age,  or 
sex,  or  rank ;  it  is  all-inspiring,  all-including,  and  all-con- 
trolling. It  covers,  in  the  regard  of  the  illuminated,  the 
whole  Ifield  of  life,  and  its  principles  affect,  or  ought  to 
affect,  every  thought  and  every  action  of  every  member 
in  the  Jewish  state.  Such,  in  the  abstract,  is  the  regard  in 
which  this  book  is  held  in  Jewry.  Whoso  would  know  it 
as  it  is,  must,  as  to  know  anything  else,  study  it  in  the  de- 
tail of  its  particularity,  and  this  he  may  in  part  do  through 
the  extracts  which  succeed,  and  which  are  given  that  he  may 
so  far  comprehend  the  substance  and  bearings  of  the  work. 


INTRODUCTION.  xv 

Meanwhile  let  us  interrogate  the  Rabbis  themselves, 
and  hear  what  account  they  have  to  give.  We  have  just 
said  that  the  Talmud  transmits  to  us  the  traditions  of  the 
elders.  Now  the  Rabbis  and  they  who  take  after  them 
assert  that  Moses  received  two  laws  on  Sinai — miJl 
3DDn^,  Torah  Shebekthab,  "the  law  in  writing,"  and 
HD  byiV  miTI,  Torah  Shebeal  Peh,  "  the  law  upon  the 
lip  " — in  other  words,  Scripture  and  tradition,  the  written 
and  the  oral  law.  For,  as  they  teach,  not  only  were  the 
nil/)  WDVI  ITOQn,  "the  five-fifths  of  the  law,"  that  is, 
the  Pentateuch,  given  to  Moses,  but  the  Mishna  also, 
which  is  therefore  literally  described  as  the  UTO1?  PO^il 
TDD  (Halachah  le  Mosheh  me  Sinai),  i.e.,  the  traditional  law 
(given)  to  Moses  on  Sinai.  It  is  this  law  which  we  have, 
for  convenience'  sake,  styled  the  text  of  the  Talmud,  and 
the  Hebrew  name  by  which  it  is  designated  here  might 
fairly  stand  as  the  running  title  of  its  every  page.  If  we 
take  the  Talmud  itself  as  an  authority  in  this  matter,  we 
might  go  still  farther  than  this  (see  Berachoth,  fol.  5, 
col.  1);  we  might  assign  a  Mosaic  origin  to  a  great  deal 
more  than  Scripture  and  the  Mishna ;  for  Rabbi  Shimon 
ben  Lakish  says,  "  What  is  that  which  is  written,  '  And  I 
will  give  thee  tables  of  stone,  and  the  law,  and  the  command- 
ment, which  I  have  written,  to  teach  them '  ?  "  (Exod.  xxiv. 
12)  "' Tables/  "  he  answers,  " are  the  Decalogue,  '  law '  is 
the  Scripture,  and  '  the  commandment '  is  the  Mishna ; 
*  which  I  have  written '  is  the  Prophets  and  the  Hagio- 
grapha ;  '  to  teach  them/  that  is  the  Gemara ;  and  this 
teaches  us  that  all  these  were  given  to  Moses  on  Sinai, 
and  '  are  the  words  of  the  living  God/ "  (See  Gittin, 
fol.  6,  col.  2,  &c.) 

But  be  this  as  it  may,  what  the  Rabbis  teach  respect- 
ing the  derivation  of  the  Mishna  is  this : — They  say  there 
was  a  chain  of  tradition  which  connected  the  times  of 
Moses  with  the  times  of  Rabbi  Yehudah  the  Holy,  and 
that  it  was  put  into  his  heart  to  compile  these  oracles 
into  a  body,  and  first  impart  to  them  the  stamp  of  the 


xvi  INTRODUCTION. 

written  word.  If  some  of  the  links  in  this  chain  of  tradi- 
tion seem  weak  and  hardly  fit  to  bear  the  strain — as,  for 
instance,  that  between  Joshua  and  Samuel — the  orthodox 
are  bound  to  believe  that  its  sufficiency  has  been  tested, 
for  every  part  is  duly  stamped  with  the  re-assuring  Babbini- 
cal  mark.  The  oral  law,  it  is  alleged  (see  Pirke  Avoth, 
chap,  i,  &c),  was  rehearsed  by  Moses  to  Joshua  and  by  him 
repeated  to  the  elders,  and  they  in  turn  transmitted  it  to  the 
prophets,  who  handed  it  down  from  one  to  another,  until 
Jeremiah  dictated  it  to  Baruch  the  Scribe.  By  this  last 
it  was  communicated  to  Ezra,  who  taught  it  to  the  men 
of  the  Great  Synagogue,  of  whom  the  last  was  Simeon  the 
Just.  After  this  it  was  handed  down  from  one  to  another 
till  the  time  of  Hillel  the  Great,  who  is  said  to  have  arrayed 
the  vast  accumulation  of  traditional  explanations  of  the 
written  law  in  six  Sedarim  or  Orders,  distributed  in  all 
into  some  six  or  seven  hundred  sections  (see  Chaggigah, 
fol.  14,  col.  1,  in  this  Miscellany,  chap,  xii.,  No.  86,  and 
Succah,  fol.  20,  col.  1).  Thus  Hillel  the  Great  seems  to 
have  arranged  the  work  that  Babbi  Yehudah  the  Holy 
compiled,  as  we  have  represented,  and  given  body  to  the 
Mislma  pretty  much  as  we  now  find  it. 

The  Gemara  is  a  voluminous  collection  of  annotations 
upon  the  Mislma  taken  as  the  text.  That  of  the  Pales- 
tinian Talmud,  the  earlier  of  the  two  by  at  least  a  century, 
is  said  to  have  been  arranged  by  Babbi  Yochanan  ben 
Eliezer,  rector  of  the  College  at  Tiberias.  That  of  the 
Talmud  Babli,  from  which  we  have  given  so  many  ex- 
cerpts in  the  pages  of  this  Miscellany,  was  in  the  main 
compiled  by  Bab  Ashi  bar  Simai,  head  of  the  Babbinical 
College  at  Sora,  appended  to  by  his  successors  in  the 
presidential  chair,  and  finally  completed  by  Babbi  Jossi, 
the  last  of  the  Amoraim,  somewhere  about  the  year  500 
of  the  present  era. 

The  twelve  volumes  of  the  Talmud  Babli,  whether  in 
folio,  quarto,  or  octavo,  are  for  the  most  part  so  printed  that 
not  only  do  the  corresponding  pages  contain  the  same 


INTRODUCTION.  xvii 

matter,  but  line  answers  to  line,  word  to  word,  and  even 
letter  to  letter.*  Quotations  and  references  may  there- 
fore be  readily  made  when  folio  and  column  are  specified 
(as  in  our  Miscellany  everywhere),  and  even  the  very  line 
can  be  given  where  there  is  any  necessity.  This  arrange- 
ment is  a  great  convenience  in  dealing  with  such  a  work 
as  the  Talmud,  which,  with  the  annotations  of  Eashi  (E. 
Solomon  ben  Isaac),  the  scholia  called  Tosephoth,  and 
the  marginal  references  and  footnotes,  covers  no  less  than 
2947  folio  leaves,  or,  in  other  words,  5894  pages  in  Hebrew, 
Aramaic,  and  Eabbinic  letterpress,  crowded  with  abbrevi- 
ations, strange  grammatical,  or  rather  ungrammatical 
forms,  and  mnemonic  technicalities,  and  without  one 
vowel-point  from  beginning  to  end. 

This  vast  medley  of  Eabbinical  literature,  with  its  more 
than  cyclopaedic  range  of  topic,  is  roughly  classified  under 
half-a-dozen  general  rubrics,  DH1D  il^ttf  (Shishah  sedarim) 
six  orders  or  series ;  the  initial  letters  of  which  two  words 
give  us  the  technical  term  D"t#,  Shas,  a  term  by  which  the 
Talmud  itself  is  designated,  and  under  which  it  is  known 
everv  where  am  oner  Jews. 

The  names  of  these  six  orders  are  as  follows : — 

1.  Seder  Zeraim   (d^TiT),  the  order  of  seeds,  containing  the 

laws  which  concern  husbandry,  &c. 

2.  Seder   Moed   (njttD),   the  order   of   festivals,   times,    and 

seasons,  &c. 

3.  Seder  Nashim  (d^3),  the  order  of  women,  dealing  with 

conjugal  laws,  marriage  duties,  &c. 

4.  Seder  ISTezikin    (pp*TJ),  the  order  of  injuries,  matters  of 

Eabbinic  jurisprudence  relating  thereto,  &c. 

5.  Seder  Kodashim  (□'•PHp),  the  order  of  consecrations,  sacri- 

fices, &c. 

6.  Seder  Taharoth  (rvnriE),  the  order  of  purifications,  &c. 

*  Fancy,  if  all  Bibles,  of  whatever  size,  had  each  the  same  number  of  pages, 
each  page  the  same  number  of  lines,  and  each  line  the  same  number  of 
words.  You  might  then  be  able  to  prick  a  pin  through  several  pages  and  tell 
the  very  letters  almost  of  every  page  the  pin  had  pierced.  I  have  seen  this 
doue  with  the  Talmud,  and  the  young  Kabbi  who  performed  the  feat  was,  as 
he  might  well  be,  considered  as  a  wonder  in  his  literary  world. — H. 


xviii  INTRODUCTION. 

The  initials  of  these  six  names  yield  the  mnemonic 
term  (D'p'J  '1'D'T),  Zeman  Nakat,  which  means  "  a  time 
accepted  or  comprehended."  These  sections  are  dis- 
tributed among  the  twelve  volumes  thus : — Seder  Zeraim 
occupies  volume  i. ;  Seder  Moed  extends  over  volumes 
ii.,  iii.,  and  iv. ;  Seder  Nashim  fills  up  the  next  two, 
i.e.,  the  fifth  and  the  sixth ;  while  the  seventh,  eighth, 
and  ninth  are  devoted  to  Seder  Nezikin.  These  four 
orders  chiefly  relate  to  what  is  recorded  in  Exodus,  while 
the  other  two  may,  for  the  most  part,  be  referred  to  Levi- 
ticus. Of  these,  Seder  Kodashim  appropriates  two  of  the 
remaining  three  volumes,  leaving  the  twelfth  to  Seder 
Taharoth.  These  Sedarim  are  divided  into  JTWDDD,  Mas- 
sictoth,  or  treatises,  of  which  there  are  seventy-one  in  all, 
including  the  JTDtOp  fftTDDD,  or  minor  treatises,  which 
usually  form  an  appendix  to  volume  ix.  These  Mas- 
sictoth  are,  in  turn,  subdivided  into  Dp")3,  Perakim,  or 
chapters,  of  which  there  are  633  in  all,  including  those 
of  the  minor  treatises.  These  chapters  again  are  still 
further  broken  up  into  paragraphs  called  Mishnaioth,  to 
the  number  of  4187. 

We  shall  now  catalogue  the  Massictoth  and  indicate 
their  contents,  which  we  must  do  briefly ;  anything  like  a 
detailed  account  would  fill  a  volume. 

Seder  Zeraim  opens  with — 

1.  Berachoth  (niD"(3,  blessings).     In  this  tract  there  are  nine 

chapters,  containing  fifty-seven  Mishnaioth.  Masseketh 
Beracoth  treats  of  the  confession  (the  Shema)  and  divine 
service,  thanksgivings  for  the  fruits  of  the  earth,  the 
times  and  the  places  where  prayer  should  be  offered,  &c. , 
&c. — We  purpose  translating  the  first  Mishna,  and  so 
much  of  its  Gemara  as  is  contained  on  the  first  page 
of  the  Talmud.  The  entire  Gemara  to  the  first  Mishna 
extends  to  seventeen  pages  and  a  half. 

2.  Peah  (nxs,  corner)  treats  of  the  corner  of  the  field  (Lev. 

xxiii.  22  ;  Deut.  xxiv.  19),  &c,  in  eight  chapters. 

3.  Demai    (^m,    doubtful).      Here  are  seven  chapters   on 

doubtful  matters  in  regard  to  tithes,  &c,  from  garden 
and  field  produce. 


INTRODUCTION.  xix 

4.  Kilaim  (D^fcOD,  heterogeneous).     The  nine  chapters  of  this 

treatise  relate  to  the  mixing  of  seeds,  the  arranging  of 
plants,  &c.,  &c. 

5.  Sheviith  (jvjP3B>,  the  seventh).     The  Sabbatic  year.     Here 

there  are  ten  chapters  (Exod.  xxiii.  10;  Lev.  xxv.). 

6.  Terumoth  (nift'nn,  oblations).     This  tract  contains  eleven 

chapters,  all  referring  to  the  various  offerings,  &c, 
brought  for  the  Temple  worship  and  service. 

7.  Maaseroth  (nnK>yiDj  tithes)  deals  with  the  "  first  tenth"  or 

tithes  which  belonged  to  the  Levites.  Here  are  five 
chapters. 

8.  Maaser  Sheni  (^  'TOO,  second  tithe).     Here  again  are 

five  chapters.  This  tract  treats  of  that  which  the  Levites 
had  to  pay  out  of  their  tithes  to  the  priests.  (Comp. 
Lev.  xxvii.  30;  Num.  xviii.  28.) 

9.  Challah  (n^TI,  cake).     Here  are  four  chapters  about  the 

cake  which  women  were  to  bring  to  the  priests.  (See 
Num.  xv.  20.) 

10.  Orlah  (i"6"ij?,  prepuce)  Three  chapters  relating  to  the 
fruitage  of  young  trees.     (See  Lev.  xix.  23.) 

11.  Biccurim  (d^133>  first  fruits).  This  tract  has  four  chap- 
ters respecting  the  first  fruits  which  were  to  be  brought 
to  the  Temple. 

This,  the  last  tract  of  Seder  Zeraim,  finishes  volume  i. 

12.  Shabbath  (ri3K>,  the  Sabbath-day).  Here  are  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-nine  Mishnaioth  in  twenty-four  chapters, 
containing  rules  relating  to  the  Sabbath. 

13.  Eiruvin  (paiTJJ,   combinations)   deals  with  the  various 

arrangements  and  limitary  combinations,  &c,  relating 
to  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath.  Here  are  ten  chap- 
ters divided  into  ninety-six  Mishnaioth. 

These  two  Massictoth  fill  volume  ii. 

14.  P'sachim  (d*PIDQ,  passovers).  This  treatise,  dealing  with 
the  Paschal  festival  and  its  accessories,  contains  ten  chap- 
ters divided  into  eighty-nine  Mishnaioth. 

15.  Bitzah  (nV2,  the  egg),  so  called  from  its  initial  word, 

also  termed  Yom  Tov,  or  "the  good  day."  The  five 
chapters  of  this  tract  contain  restrictions  and  regulations 
for  the  due  observance  of  festivals. 

16.  Chaggigah  (rwan,  festivity).  This  tract,  in  three  chap- 
ters, deals  with  the  sacrifices  for  festivals,  &c.  (Exod. 
xxiii.  17). 


xx  INTRODUCTION. 

17.  Moed  Katon  (|tt2p  TjflO,  little  feast).  The  three  chapters 
of  this  treatise  relate  to  the  middle  days  of  Passover  and 
Succoth,  &c. 

These  four  tracts  are  comprised  in  volume  iii. 

18.  Rosh  Hashanah  {r\V^r\  B^n,  the  beginning  of  the  year). 

Here  are  four  chapters  in  thirty-live  Mishnaioth  treating 
of  New  Year's  Day. 

19.  Yoma  (N2V,  the  day).  Here  are  eight  chapters  concern- 
ing the  Day  of  Atonement. 

20.  Succah  (n21Di  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles).  Five  chapters 
relating  to  the  celebration  of  this  festival. 

21.  Taanith  (n*2JJn,  fast).  Four  chapters  treating  of  the 
public  fast  days,  and  how  they  are  to  be  observed. 

22.  Shekalim  (o*!?pB>,  shekels).  The  eight  chapters  of  this 
treatise  relate  to  the  capitation  tax.  (See  Exod.  xiii. 
12,  Sec.) 

23.  Meggillah  (n^*3D,  roll)  contains  particulars  relating  to  the 
Feast  of  Purini,  &c,  in  four  chapters. 

Me^illah,  the  last  tract  of  volume  iv.,  finishes  Seder 
iMoed.   Volume  v.  contains  the  three  following  treatises  : — 

24.  Yevamoth   (niD3*j    brothers-in-law).      Here   are    sixteen 

chapters,  principally  devoted  to  enforcing  the  duty  of 
marrying  the  childless  widow  of  a  deceased  brother-in- 
law  (see  Deut.  xxv.  5),  and  the  ceremony  of  Chalitzah 
(see  ibid.,  ver.  9). 

25.  Kethuboth  (nmns,  marriage  contracts).      The  thirteen 

chapters  of  this  treatise  relate  mainly  to  marriage  docu- 
ments, dowries,  duties  and  other  et  ceteras  concerning 
married  life. 
26..  Ividdushin  (pe^Hp,  espousals).  This  tract  has  four  chap- 
ters on  betrothing,  or  the  "  consecration"  of  a  woman, 
and  treats  of  the  various  ways  this  may  be  done  ;  1  ;• 

fait    (nx*2),    by   money,    or   by   written    contract, 
&c,  &c 

The  next  four  tracts  occupy  volume  vi. 

27.  Gittin  (pD*3,  divorces').  The  Get  or  bill  of  divorcement 
and  other  cognate  matters  form  the  subject-matter  of  the 
nine  chapters  of  this  tract. 

28.  Nedarim  (am:,  vows)  recapitulates  and  deals  with  the 

vows  of  females  and  families.     Here  are  eleven  chapters. 


INTRODUCTION.         '  xxi 

29.  Nazir  (TM,"  the  Nazarite).  The  nine  chapters  of  this 
treatise  relate  to  the  vows  of  Nazarites,  &c. 

30.  Sotah  (ntOID,  the  suspected).  This  tract  in  its  nine 
chapters  treats  principally  of  conjugal  infidelity  (Num. 
v.  n),  and  with  it  closes  Seder  Nashini. 

Volume  vii.,  commencing  Seder  Nezikin,   opens   with 
Bava  Kama.  * 

31.  Bava  Kama  (^op  N32,  the  first  gate  or  place  of  justice) 
treats  of  losses,  of  damages  occasioned  by  man  or  beast, 
fire,  &c.     Here  are  ten  chapters. 

32.  Bava  Metzia  (xy>¥£  Knn>  the  middle  gate).  The  ten 
chapters  of  this  treatise  deal  with  things  found,  with 
deposits  and  I6ans,  interest  or  usury,  &c. 

33.  Bava  Bathra  (aim  ton,  the  last  gate).  Here  again  are 
ten  chapters.  These  relate  chiefly  to  business  matters, 
buying  and  selling,  inheritances  and  trusts. 

34.  Avodah  Zarah  (mr  rmny,  strange  worship).     This  tract 

in  five  chapters  treals  of  idolatry  and  heresy.  It  is 
omitted  from  some  editions  because  of  its  objectionable 
remarks. 

Volume  ix.  commences  with — 

35.  Sanhedrin  (jmmD,  Sanhedrin),  which  relates  to  the  great 
ecclesiastical  council  of  the  nation,  to  judges  and  magis- 
trates, to  plaintiffs,  defendants,  and  witnesses,  fines, 
punishments,  and  forensic  matters  generally.  There  are 
eleven  chapters  in  this  treatise. 

36.  Shevuoth  (nWlic,  oaths).  Eight  chapters  upon  oaths 
and  their  administration. 

37.  Maccoth  (rYDft;,  stripes).  Here  are  three  chapters  upon 
corporal  punishment  and  other  cognate  matters.  Among 
other  things  in  reference  to  the  scourging  of  criminals,  the 
nnx  "iDn  D^jniN,  "  the  forty  (stripes)  save  one  "  (Deut. 
xxv.  3 ;  2  Cor.  xi.  24),  is  commented  upon  and  ex- 
plained. 

38.  Horaioth  (nv'"lin,  decisions).  Another  set  of  three  chap- 
ters on  legal  administrations,  dealing  chiefly  with  errors 
of  judgment  and  the  offerings  which  atone  for  them. 

39.  Edioth   (rimy,   witnesses).     Eight   chapters  upon  legal 

evidence,  verdicts,  and  determinations  in  lawsuits,  &c. 

40.  Avoth  (mix,  fathers),  or  Pirke  Avoth   (nnx  ^p"lD,  the 

chapters  of  the  fathers).  The  six  chapters  of  this  treatise 
whicli   contain   the  moral  apophthegms  of  the   Jewish 


xxii  INTRODUCTION. 

sages  are  among  the  best  known  and  most  popular  in 
the  Talmud,  and  repeated  on  Sabbath  afternoons  during 
the  six  summer  months. 

Here  follows  the  treatise  entitled  the  "  Avoth  de  Rabbi 
Nathan  "  (]D2  Mil  JTQN),  with  its  forty-one  chapters,  and 
then  the  rest  of  the  minor  treatises  styled  the  "  Massictoth 
Ketanoth  "  (mJtOp  mrDDD). 

Sophrim  (DHS1D,  scribes).  The  twenty-one  chapters  of  this 
treatise  relate  to  the  copying  of  Biblical  MSS. 

Ebel  Rabbathi  (»nm  ^ns,  great  mourning),  or  Semachoth 
(mnE£>,  joy),  as  this  tract  is  euphemistically  styled,  con- 
tains fourteen  chapters. 

Callah  (rfc,  the  bride).  A  chapter  on  marriage  ceremonies, 
&c. 

Derech  Eretz  (pK  "|T7,  the  way  of  the  world).  A  compen- 
dium of  ethics  in  two  divisions ;  "  Rabba,"  the  greater, 
containing  eleven  chapters,  and  "  Zuta,"  the  lesser,  ten ; 
■to  which  is  appended 

Perek  Hashalom  (Dl^n  p"is),  as  its  name  implies,  "  A  chap- 
ter on  peace." 

Gerim  (D*"1J,  proselytes).  Four  chapters  on  the  laws  concern- 
ing proselytes. 

Cuthim  (D>ni3,  Cuthites).  The  word  Cuthites  here,  like  the 
Greek  (3d?(3aoos,  is  used  to  denote  foreigners,  especially 
heathens.     This  treatise  contains  two  chapters. 

Avadim  (DHQJJ,  slaves).     A  small  treatise  of  three  chapters. 

These  minor  treatises  have  no  Mishna.  They  vary  in 
some  editions,  but  occur,  as  noted  above,  in  the  edition  of 
the  Talmud  Babli  used  for  this  Miscellany,  that  printed 
at  Warsaw.  Volume  x.,  commencing  Seder  Kodashim, 
begins  with — 

41.  Zevachim  (D^rQT,  sacrifices).     A  tract  of  fourteen  chap- 

ters upon  sacrifices,  their  rules  and  regulations. 

42.  Menachoth  (mrOE,   meat-offerings).     Here  are    thirteen 

chapters,  principally  relating  to  the  evening  sacrifices. 

43.  Bechoroth    (nVT)D3,    first-born).       Primogeniture    is    the 

main  topic  of  the  nine  chapters  of  this  treatise,  and 
with  it  finishes  volume  x.     Volume  xi.  opens  with — 

44.  Chulin  (}^in,  profane).  Here  we  have  a  dozen  chapters 
upon  animals,  clean  and  unclean,  for  domestic  use,  &c. 


INTRODUCTION. 


xxni 


45.  Erachin  (piy,  valuations).  This  is  a  treatise  of  nine 
chapters,  mostly  occupied  about  estimates,  valuing  and 
taxing  objects  consecrated  for  divine  worship,  and  with 
vows. 

46.  Kerithoth  (nUVID,  excisions).  The  half-dozen  chapters 
of  this  treatise  have  to  do  with  the  sins  which  are 
punished  by  excommunication,  or  "cutting  off"  from  the 
people. 

47.  Temurah  (mi)Dn,  commutation).  Seven  chapters  deal- 
ing with  the  substitution  of  one  sacrifice  for  another. 

48.  Mehilah  (n^TO,  trespass).     Six  chapters  upon  trespasses 

with  regard  to   consecrated  things  being  perverted  to 
profane  uses. 

49.  Kinnim  (D^p,  nests).  A  treatise  of  three  chapters  about 
birds  for  sacrifice,  nests,  &c. 

50.  Tamid  (Ton,  continual  offerings).  Seven  chapters  re- 
lating to  the  daily  morning  and  evening  sacrifices. 

51.  Middoth  (nnD,  measurements).  Five  chapters  upon 
the  dimensions  of  the  Temple.  This  treatise  concludes 
volume  xi. 


Seder  Taharoth,  with  its  twelve  treatises,  takes  up 
volume  xii.  All  these  treatises  except  Niddah,  the  first 
in  the  volume,  are  without  Gemara. 

5  2.  Mddah  (n*T3,  uncleanness).  Ten  chapters  mostly  relat- 
ing to  the  matters  specified  in  Lev.  xv.  2-T2. 

53.  Kelim  (d^3,  vessels).  Here  we  have  thirty  chapters 
about  utensils,  furniture,  clothes,  and  other  things  which 
contract  and  communicate  uncleanness ;  with  various 
sanitary  rules  and  regulations,  &c. 

54.  Oholoth  (ni^nx,  tents)  treats  of  houses  as  well  as 
tents,  with  special  reference  to  the  contaminating  pre- 
sence of  a  corpse.     Here  are  eighteen  chapters. 

55.  Negaim  (d'TO,  plagues).  Fourteen  chapters  upon  con- 
tagious disorders,  especially  leprosy  (Lev.  xiii.  and  xiv.). 

56.  Parah  (ma,  the  red  heifer).  Twelve  chapters  detailing 
the  laws  which  relate  to  Num.  xix. 

57.  Taharoth   (ni"intO,   cleanliness).     This  treatise  takes  ac- 

count of  minor  impurities  which  may  be  got  rid  of  on 
the  same  day  at  sundown.  There  are  ten  chapters  upon 
this  subject. 

58.  Mikvaoth  (niNlpD,  baths).  Ten  chapters  upon  baths, 
lavers,  Sec. 


iv  INTRODUCTION. 

59.  Maksheerin  (p*W3IO,  purifiers).  Here  the  rules  for  puri- 
fication based  upon  Lev.  xi.  36-38  are  expanded  into  a 
half-dozen  chapters. 

60.  Zabim  (D'OT,  fluxes).     A  medical  treatise  upon  Lev.  xv. 

in  five  chapters. 

61.  Tevul  Yom  (qv  ^121D,  ablutions  of  the  day).     Four  chap- 

ters on  purifying  upon  the  self-same  day  on  which  defile- 
ment takes  place.     (See  Lev.  xvii.  15,  and  xxii.  6,  7.) 

62.  Yadaim  (D*T,  hands).  The  washing  of  the  hands  is  the 
main  topic  of  the  four  chapters  of  this  treatise. 

63.  Okatzin  (pvpy,  stalks).     Three  chapters  upon  fruits  and 

other  things  which  convey  impurity  by  the  touch.  This 
treatise  finishes  volume  xii.,  and  with  it  the  Talmud 
Babli  concludes. 


We  shall  now  subjoin  the  first  Mishna  of  Berachoth, 
and  as  much  of  its  Gemara  as  is  given  upon  the  first  page 
of  the  Talmud,  the  heading  to  which  is  : — 

which  reads  thus  :  "  Meemathai,  chapter  first,  Berachoth." 
Meemathai  =  "  from  what  time,"  is  the  word  with  which 
the  chapter  commences,  and  after  which,  as  is  usual,  this 
chapter  is  named. 

"From  what  time  is  the  Shema  read  in  the  evening? 
From  the  time  when  the  .priests  enter  the  sanctuary  to  eat  of 
their  heave-offerings,  until  the  end  of  the  first  night-watch. 
These  are  the  words  of  Rabbi  Eliezer,  hut  the  sages  say  until 
midnight,  and  Rabbon  Gamliel  says  until  the  dawn  of  morn- 
ing. It  came  to  pass  that  the  sons  of  this  Rabbi  once  returned 
from  a  banqueting-house  after  midnight,  and  said  unto  him, 
'  We  have  not  yet  read  the  Shema  ! '  He  said  unto  them, 
'  If  the  morning  dawn  has  not  yet  appeared,  ye  are  bound  to 
read  it ;  and  not  in  this  case  only,  but  in  every  instance  where 
the  sages  say  until  midnight.1  Their  precept  holds  good 
until  the  morning  daybreak.  The  precept  with  regard  to  the 
burning  of  the.  fat  and  the  joints  holds  good  till  the  dawn  of 
morning.  For  all  offerings  which  must  be  eaten  the  same  day, 
the  precept  holds  good  till  the  morning  dawn  rises.  If  this 
be  the  case,  why  do  the  sages  say,  '  until  midnight '  1  In 
order  to  keep  man  far  from  transgression." 


INTRODUCTION.  xxv 

:    Gemara. 

"  The  Tanna,*  it  is  asked,  to  what  does  he  refer  when  he 
teaches  "nCKE,  'from  what  time'?  And  besides,  why  does, he 
teach  about  in  the  evening  first,  instead  of  in  the  morning 
first?  The  Tanna  rests  upon  Scripture,  where  it  is  written 
(Deut.  vi.),  '  When  thou  liest  down  and  when  thou  risest  up,' 
and  thus  he  teaches  the  time  of  reading  the  Shema  when 
thou  liest  down.  When  does  it  begin?  It  begins  from  the 
hour  when  the  priests  enter  to  eat  their  heave-offering.  But 
if  thou  wishest,  I  will  say  that  he  derives  it  from  the  account 
of  the  creation  of  the  world,  where  it  is  written  (Gen.  i.),  'And 
the  evening  and  the  morning  were  day  one.'  If  this  be  so, 
why  does  a  later  Mishna  (f ol.  1 1 ,  col.  i )  teach  that  at  dawn 
two  benedictions  are  to  be  said  before  the  Shema,  and  one  after 
it ;  and  at  eventide  two  benedictions  are  to  be  repeated  before 
it,  and  two  after  it?  Ought  it  not  to  teach  concerning  the 
evening  first  ?  The  Tanna  commences  (in  the  above  Mishna) 
1  in  the  evening,'  then  (in  the  later  Mishna)  he  teaches 
'  at  the  dawn.'  When  he  treats  of  the  dawn  he  explains  the 
particulars  relating  to  the  dawn,  and  then  explains  the  parti- 
culars relating  to  the  evening. 

"  Mar  (the  master  -j")  says,  from  the  hour  when  the  priests  enter 
to  partake  of  the  heave-offering.  And  from  what  time  do  the 
priests  enter  to  partake  of  the  heave-offering  ?  Reply  : — From  the 
time  that  the  stars  appear.  He  should  have  taught  them  '  from 
the  time  that  the  stars  appear '  (which1  would  have  been  easier  to 
be  understood).  This  he  makes  us  to  apprehend  by  the  way. 
From  what  point  of  time  do  the  priests  eat  the  heaVe-offering  ? 
From  the  appearing  of  the  stars.  And  then  he  gives  us  to  under- 
stand that  the  expiatory  sacrifice  does  not  hinder  (the  priests  eat- 
ing of  the  heave-offering),  according  to  the  teaching  of  tradition 
(Lev.  xxii.),  'And  when  the  sun  goes  down  he  shall  be  clean,' 
It  is  the  going  down  of  the  sun  which  might  hinder  him  eating 
of  the  heave-offering,  but  the  expiatory  sacrifice  does  not  hinder 
him  eating  it.  But  whence  (do  we  know),  that  this  '  when 
the  sun  is  down  *  means  '  when  the  sun  sets,'  and  '  he  shall  be 
clean '  is  '  the  purity  of  the  day '  ?     Perhaps." 

So  ends  the  first  page  of  the  Talmud.  ND^H  (perhaps) 
is  the  catchword  for  the  next  page ;  and  so  the  Gemara 

*  This  word  means  a  doctor,  a  learned  man,  and  is  applied  here  £o  the 
author  of  the  Mishna. 
f  Mar  refers  to  the  editor  and  not  to  the  author  of  the  Mishna. 


xxvi  INTRODUCTION. 

goes  on  filling  page  after  page  with  matter  of  equal  in- 
terest to  that  which  we  have  quoted. 

As  an  accompaniment  to  this  we  shall  here  quote  two 
or  three  of  the  last  Mishnaioth  of  Ukatzin,  and  so  give  the 
last  page  of  the  Talmud  as  well  as  the  first. 

There  is  no  Gemara  to  any  of  the  twelve  treatises  of 
Seder  Taharoth  except  M.  Niddah.  Mishna  9  of  Okatzin 
commences  on  the  last  page  but  one,  and  reads  thus  : — 

9.  "  Tallow  or  suet  of  clean  cattle  (mintD,  clean  is  the  catch- 
word which  finishes  one  page  and  commences  the  next)  does 
not  defile  like  carrion,  and  requires  legal  authorisation.  Tallow 
or  suet  of  unclean  cattle  defiles  like  carrion,  and  therefore  needs 
no  legal  authorisation.  Unclean  fish  and  locusts  in  villages  re- 
quire discrimination. 

10  "A  beehive,  says  Rabbi  Eleazar,  is  like  landed  pro- 
perty, and  a  title-deed  is  to  be  written  to  give  right  of  posses- 
sion. In  its  standing-place  it  is  not  liable  to  become  defiled, 
and  he  who  takes  of  its  honey  on  the  Sabbath  is  in  duty  bound 
to  bring  a  sin-offering.  But  the  sages  say  it  is  not  like  landed 
property ;  no  title-deed  is  to  be  drawn  up  in  regard  to  it ;  it  is 
liable  to  defilement  (as  it  stands)  in  its  place,  and  he  who  takes 
honey  from  it  is  not  guilty. 

11.  "  From  what  time  does  honeycomb  become  liable  to  cere- 
monial defilement  as  food  1  The  school  of  Shammai  says,  from 
the  time  the  beehive  is  fumigated ;  the  school  of  Hillel  says, 
from  the  time  the  beehive  is  emptied. 

12.  "  Rabin  Yehoshua  ben  Levi  says,  the  Holy  One — blessed 
be  He  ! — will  in  the  future  give  to  every  righteous  man  an 
inheritance  of  three  hundred  and  ten  worlds,  for  it  is  said 
(Prov.  viii.),  'That  I  may  cause  those  that  love  me  to  inherit 
(&\  by  gematria  =  310)  substance,  and  I  will  fill  their  treasures.' 
Rabbi  Shimon  ben  Chalapta  says,  the  Holy  One — blessed  be 
He  ! — has  found  no  such  vehicle  of  blessing  for  Israel  as  peace, 
for  it  is  said  (Prov.  xxix.),  'The  Lord  will  give  strength  unto 
His  people.     The  Lord  will  bless  His  people  with  peace.' 


Such,  then,  with  its  opening  and  closing  paragraphs,  is  an 
outline  of  the  subject-matter  of  the  Talmud  Babli ;  a  work 
which,  in  its  entirety,  has  never  been  translated  into  any 
language,  and  in  all  probability  never  will,  so  incoherent 


INTRODUCTION.  xxvii 

is  its  structure,  so  diverse  are  its  oracles,  and  so  barren 
and  questionable  often  are  its  results.  It  is,  moreover,  so 
huge  in  its  dimensions  that,  as  the  Eabbis  allege,  it  would 
take  one  seven  years,  studying  six  hours  a  day,  to  attain 
even  a  moderate  acquaintance  with  its  contents. 

Enough,  we  flatter  ourselves,  has  been  given  in  these 
remarks  to  supply  some  real,  however  meagre,  knowledge 
of  its  nature,  and  to  mitigate  the  almost  total  ignorance 
which  prevails  in  regard  to  it.  It  dates  from  the  time  of 
the  Captivity,  when  the  Jewish  mind  began  to  open  to  a 
sense  of  the  glory  of  its  sacred  books,  and  the  wealth 
of  wisdom  and  knowledge  contained  within  their  miracu- 
lous pages.  To  the  Jew,  in  his  then  mood,  these  books, 
conceived  and  put  together  by  the  heroic  of  the  race  in 
direst  battle  with  darkness  and  disorder,  seemed  to  be 
fraught  with  all  divine  counsel  and  alone  worthy  of  all 
regard ;  until  at  length  not  the  pious  only,  but  the  profane, 
were  smitten  with  the  enthusiasm,  or,  if  not  so  smitten, 
made  use  of  it  for  all  sorts  of  selfish  by-ends.  It  is  the 
fate  of  all  interests,  however  sacred,  when  men  idly  quit 
the  reality  for  its  reflection,  and  take  to  merely  worshipping 
the  wonderful  that  has  been  uttered  or  done.  It  would 
seem  to  lie  in  the  nature  of  things  that  the  weak  silver  age 
should  succeed  the  rich  golden  one — the  age  of  pale  reflec- 
tion, the  age  of  glowing  action ;  only  in  this  case,  that  of 
silver  is  ominously  all  too  prolonged.  The  ages  of  brass 
and  iron,  which  among  conquering  races  seem  equally  fated 
to  follow  that  of  weak  admiration,  have  not  yet  among 
the  Jews  so  much  as  begun  to  appear.  The  history  they 
have  had  is  all  gone  to  echo,  and  the  canon  of  inspiration 
has  been  arbitrarily  and  peremptorily  closed. 


A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 


CHAPTER   L 

THE   '  ONES  '   OF   THE   TALMUD. 

1.  Where  do  we  learn  that  the  Shechinah  rests  even 
upon  one  who  studies  the  law  ?  In  Exodus  xx.  24,  where 
it  is  written,  "  In  all  places  where  I  record  my  name  I 
will  come  unto  thee,  and  I  will  bless  thee." 

Berachoth,  fol.  6,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  Chaldee  Targums  on  the  Pentateuch  strike  the 
same  keynote  of  broad  Catholicity,  and  variously  but 
very  beautifully  modulate  the  same  sentiment.  One 
example  must  suffice  here.  The  Targum  Yerushalmi 
says,  "  In  every  place  in  which  ye  shall  memorialize  my 
holy  name,  my  word  shall  be  revealed  unto  you,  and 
bless  you."  The  same  sentiment  has  its  echo  in  Matt. 
xviii.  20. 

2.  One  pang  of  remorse  at  a  man's  heart  is  of  more  avail 
than  many  stripes  applied  to  him.     (See  Pro  v.  xvii.  10.) 

Ibid.,  fol.  7,  col.  1. 

* 

3.  "Hear,  0  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord!" 

(Deut.  vi.  4).     Whosoever  prolongs  the  utterance  of  the 

word  (1HN)  one,  shall  have  his  days  and  years  prolonged 

to  him.     So  also  Zohar,  syn.  tit.  ii. 

Ibid.,  fol.  13,  col.  2. 


2  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

4.  Once,  as  the  Babbis  tell  us,  the  Boman  Government 
issued  a  decree  forbidding  Israel  to  study  the  law. 
Whereupon  Pappus,  the  son  of  Yehudah,  one  day  found 
Eabbi  Akiva  teaching  it  openly  to  multitudes,  whom  he 
had  gathered  round  him  to  hear  it.  "Akiva,"  said  he, 
"  art  thou  not  afraid  of  the  Government  ? "  "  List,"  was 
the  reply,  "  and  I  will  tell  thee  how  it  is  by  a  parable.  It 
is  with  me  as  with  the  fishes  whom  a  fox,  walking  once 
by  a  river's  side,  saw  darting  distractedly  to  and  fro  in 
the  stream  ;  and,  addressing,  inquired,  '  From  what,  pray, 
are  ye  fleeing  ? '  '  From  the  nets,'  they  replied,  c  which 
the  children  of  men  have  set  to  ensnare  us/  '  Why,  then,' 
rejoined  the  fox,  '  not  try  the  dry  land  with  me,  where 
you  and  I  can  live  together,  as  our  fathers  managed  to  do 
before  us  ? '  '  Surely,'  exclaimed  they,  '  thou  art  not  he  of 
whom  we  have  heard  so  much  as  the  most  cunning  of 
animals,  for  herein  thou  art  not  wise,  but  foolish.  For  if 
we  have  cause  to  fear  where  it  is  natural  for  us  to  live, 
how  much  more  reason  have  we  to  do  so  where  we  needs 
must  die  ! '  Just  so,"  continued  Akiva,  "  is  it  with  us  who 
study  the  law,  in  which  (Deut.  xxx.  20)  it  is  written,  '  He 
is  thy  life  and  the  length  of  thy  days ; '  for  if  we  suffer 
while  we  study  the  law,  how  much  more  shall  we  if  we 
neglect  it?"  Not  many  days  after,  it  is  related,  this  Eabbi 
Akiva  was  apprehended  and  thrown  into  prison.  As  it 
happened,  they  led  him  out  for  execution  just  at  the  time 
when  "Hear,  O  Israel!"  fell  to  be  repeated,  and  as  they 
tore  his  flesh  with  currycombs,  and  as  he  was  with  long- 
drawn  breath  sounding  forth  the  word  ("TnN)  one,  his  soul 
departed  from  him.  Then  came  forth  a  voice  from  heaven 
(blp  J"Q),  which  said,  "  Blessed  art  thou,  Eabbi  Akiva,  for 
thy  soul  and  the  word  one  left  thy  body  together." 

Berachoth,  fol.  61,  col.  2. 

Note. — *?1p  r\2,  Bath  Kol,  lit.  the  echo  or  daughter  of  a  voice. 
In  this  case  it  is  the  echo  of  the  voice  of  God  in  those 
who  by  obeying  hear. 


CHAPTER  I.  3 

5.  The  badger,  as  it  existed  in  the  days  of  Moses,  was 
an  animal  of  unique  type,  and  the  learned  are  not  agreed 
whether  it  was  a  wild  one  or  a  domestic.  It  had  only  one 
horn  on  its  forehead;  and  was  assigned  for  the  time  to 
Moses,  who  made  a  covering  of  its  skin  for  the  tabernacle; 
after  which  it  became  extinct,  having  served  the  purpose 
of  its  existence.  Eabbi  Yehudah  says,  "  The  ox,  also,  which 
the  first  man,  Adam,  sacrificed,  had  but  one  horn  on  its 
forehead."  Shabbath,  fol.  28,  col.  2. 

6.  Once  a  Gentile  came  to  Shamai,  and  said,  "Proselytise 
me,  but  on  condition  that  thou  teach  me  the  whole  law, 
even  the  whole  of  it,  whilst  I  stand  upon  one  leg."  Shamai 
drove  him.  off  with  the  builder's  rod  which  he  held  in  his 
hand.  When  he  came  to  Hillel  with  the  same  challenge 
Hillel  converted  him  by  answering  him  on  the  spot,  "  That 
which  is  hateful  to  thyself,  do  not  do  to  thy  neighbour. 
This  is  the  whole  law,  and  the  rest  is  its  commentary " 
(Tobit,  iv.  15;  Matt.  vii.  12).  Ibid.,  fol.  31,  col.  1. 

7.  When  Eabbi  Shimon  ben  Yochai  and  his  son,  Rabbi 
Elazar,  came  out  of  their  cave  on  a  Friday  afternoon,  they 
saw  an  old  man  hurrying  along  with  two  bunches  of  myrtle 
in  his  hand.  "What,"  said  they,  accosting  him,  "dost 
thou  want  with  these  ? "  "  To  smell  them  in  honour  of 
the  Sabbath,"  was  the  reply.  "Would  not  one  bunch," 
they  remarked,  "  be  enough  for  that  purpose  ?  "  "  Nay," 
the  old  man  replied ;  "  one  is  in  honour  of  "I'D?,  '  Remem- 
ber' (Exod.  xxii.  28);  and  one  in  honour  of  T)Dt£f,  'Keep' 
(Deut.  v.  8)."  Thereupon  Rabbi  Shimon  remarked  to  his 
son,  "  Behold  how  the  commandments  are  regarded  by 
Israel!"  Ibid.,  fol.  2>2>,  col.  2. 

8.  Not  one  single  thing  has  God  created  in  vain.  He 
created  the  snail  as  a  remedy  for  a  blister ;  the  fly  for  the 
sting  of  a  wasp ;  the  gnat  for  the  bite  of  a  serpent ;  the 
serpent  itself  for  healing  the  itch  (or  the  scab);  and  the 
lizard  (or  the  spider)  for  the  sting  of  a  scorpion. 

Ibid.,  fol.  77,  col.  2. 


4  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

9.  When  a  man  is  dangerously  ill,  the  law  grants  dis- 
pensation, for  it  says,  "  You  may  break  one  Sabbath  on  his 
behalf,  that  he  may  be  preserved  to  keep  many  Sabbaths." 

Shabbath,  fol.  151,  col.  2. 

10.  Once  when  Rabbi  Ishmael  paid  a  visit  to  Rabbi 
Shimon,  he  was  offered  a  cup  of  wine,  which  he  at  once, 
without  being  asked  twice,  accepted,  and  drained  at  one 
draught.  "  Sir,"  said  his  host,  "  dost  thou  not  know  the 
proverb,  that  he  who  drinks  off'  a  cup  of  wine  at  a  draught 
is  a  greedy  one  ?  "  "  Ah  ! "  was  the  answer,  "  that  fits  not 
this  case ;  for  thy  cup  is  small,  thy  wine  is  sweet,  and  my 
stomach  is  capacious."  Psachim,  fol.  86,  col.  2. 

1 1.  At  the  time  when  Ximrod  the  wicked  had  cast  our 
Father  Abraham  into  the  fiery  furnace,  Gabriel  stood  forth 
in  the  presence  of  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! — and  said, 
"  Lord  of  the  universe,  let  me,  I  pray  thee,  go  down  and 
cool  the  furnace,  and  deliver  that  righteous  one  from  it." 
Then  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! — said  unto  him,  "  I 
am  One  in  my  world  and  he  is  one  in  his  world ;  it  is  more 
becoming  that  He  who  is  one  should  deliver  him  who  is 
one."  But  as  God  does  not  withhold  His  reward  from  any 
creature,  He  said  to  Gabriel,  "  For  this  thy  good  intention, 
be  thine  the  honour  of  rescuing  three  of  his  descendants." 
At  the  time  when  Nebuchadnezzar  the  wicked  cast  Hana- 
niah,  Mishael,  and  Azariah  into  the  fiery  furnace,  Your- 
kami,  the  prince  of  hail,  arose  before  God  and  said,  "Lord 
of  the  universe,  let  me,  I  pray  thee,  go  down  and  cool  the 
fiery  furnace,  and  rescue  these  righteous  men  from  its 
fury."  Whereupon  Gabriel  interposed,  and  said,  "  God's 
power  is  not  to  be  demonstrated  thus,  for  thou  art  the 
prince  of  hail,  and  everybody  knows  that  water  quenches 
lire ;  but  I,  the  prince  of  fire,  will  go  down  and  cool  the 
flame  within  and  intensify  it  without  (so  as  to  consume 
the  executioners),  and  thus  will  I  perform  a  miracle  within  a 
miracle."  Then  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — said  to  him, 


CHAPTER  L  5 

"  Go  down."     Upon  which  Gabriel  exclaimed,  "  Verily  the 
truth  of  the  Lord  endureth  for  ever ! "  (Ps.  cxvii.  2). 

P'sachim,  fol.  118,  col.  1. 

12.  One  peppercorn  to-day  is  better  than  a  basketful  of 
pumpkins  to-morrow.  Chaggigah,  fol.  10,  col.  1. 

1 3.  One  day  of  a  year  is  counted  for  a  whole  year. 

Rash  Hashanah,  fol.  2,  col.  2. 

Note.— If  a  king  be  crowned  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  Adar 
(the  last  month  of  the  sacred  year),  on  the  morrow— the 
first  of  Nissan— it  is  reckoned  that  he  commences  his 
second  year,  that  being  the  new  year's  day  for  royal 
and  ecclesiastical  affairs. 

14.  For  the  sake  of  one  righteous  man  the  whole  world 
is  preserved  in  existence,  as  it  is  written  (Prov.  x.  25), 
"  The  righteous  man  is  an  everlasting  foundation." 

Yoma,  fol.  38,  col.  2. 

15.  Eabbi  Meyer  saith,  "Great  is  repentance,  because 
for  the  sake  of  one  that  truly  repenteth  the  whole  world 
is  pardoned ;  as  it  is  written  (Hosea  xiv.  4),  '  I  will  heal 
their  backsliding,  I  will  love  them  freely,  for  mine  anger 
is  turned  away  from  him.'  "  It  is  not  said,  "from  them;' 
but  "from  him:'  Ibid.,  fol.  86,  col.  2. 

16.  He  who  observes  one  precept,  in  addition  to  those 
which,  as  originally  laid  upon  him,  he  has  discharged,  shall 
receive  favour  from  above,  and  is  equal  to  him  who  has 
fulfilled  the  whole  law.  Kiddushin,  fol.  39,  col.  2. 

17.  If  any  man  vow  a  vow  by  only  one  of  all  the 
utensils  of  the  altar,  he  has  vowed  by  the  corban,  even 
although  he  did  not  mention  the  word  in  his  oath.  Eabbi 
Yehuda  says,  "  He  who  swears  by  the  word  Jerusalem  is  as 
though  he  had  said  nothing."         Nedarim,  fol.  10,  coL  2. 

18.  Balaam  was  lame  in  one  foot  and  blind  in  one  eye. 

Soteh,  fol.  io,  col.  1,  and  Sanhedrin,  fol.  105,  col.  1. 


6  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

19.  One  wins  eternal  life  after  a  struggle  of  years; 
another  finds  it  in  one  hour  (see  Luke  xxiii.  43). 

Avodah  Zarah,  fol.  17,  col.  1. 

Note. — This  saying  is  applied  by  Rabbi  the  Holy  to  Rabbi 
Eliezar,  the  son  of  Durdia,  a  profligate  who  recommended 
himself  to  the  favour  of  Heaven  by  one  prolonged  act  of 
determined  penitence,  placing  his  head  between  his  knees 
and  groaning  and  weeping  till  his  soul  departed  from 
him,  and  his  sin  and  misery  along  with  it ;  for  at  the 
moment  of  death  a  voice  from  heaven  came  forth  and 
said,  "  Rabbi  Eliezar,  the  son  of  Durdia,  is  appointed  to 
life  everlasting."  When  Rabbi  the  Holy  heard  this, 
he  wept,  and  said,  "  One  wins  eternal  life  after  a  struggle 
of  years;  another  finds  it  in  one  hour/'  (Compare  Luke 
xv.  11-32.) 

20.  Whosoever  destroyeth  one  soul  of  Israel,  Scripture 
counts  it  to  him  as  though  he  had  destroyed  the  whole 
world ;  and  whoso  preserveth  one  soul  of  Israel,  Scripture 
counts  it  as  though  he  had  preserved  the  whole  world. 

Sanhedrin,  fol.  37,  col.  1. 

21.  The  greatness  of  God  is  infinite  ;  for  while  with  one 
die  man  impresses  many  coins  and  all  are  exactly  alike, 
the  King  of  kings,  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — with 
one  die  impresses  the  same  image  (of  Adam)  on  all  men,  and 
yet  not  one  of  them  is  like  his  neighbour.  So  that  every 
one  ought  to  say,  "  For  myself  is  the  world  created." 

Ibid.,  fol.  37,  col.  1. 

22.  "  He  caused  the  lame  to  mount  on  the  back  of  the 
blind,  and  judged  them  both  as  one."  Antoninus  said  to 
the  Rabbi,  "  Body  and  soul  might  each  plead  right  of 
acquittal  at  the  day  of  judgment."  "How  so  ?"  he  asked. 
"  The  body  might  plead  that  it  was  the  soul  that  had 
sinned,  and  urge,  saying,  '  See,  since  the  departure  of  the 
soul  I  have  lain  in  the  grave  as  still  as  a  stone.'  And  the 
soul  might  plead,  '  It  was  the  body  that  sinned,  for  since 
the  day  I  left  it,  I  have  flitted  about  in  the  air  as  innocent 
as  a  bird.'  "    To  which  the  Rabbi  replied  and  said,  "Where- 


CHAPTER  L  7 

unto  this  tiling  is  like,  I  will  tell  thee  in  a  parable.  It  is 
like  unto  a  king  who  had  an  orchard  with  some  fine  young 
fig-trees  planted  in  it.  He  set  two  gardeners  to  take  care 
of  them,  of  whom  one  was  lame  and  the  other  blind.  One 
day  the  lame  one  said  to  the  blind,  '  I  see  some  fine  figs 
in  the  garden ;  come,  take  me  on  thy  shoulders,  and  we 
will  pluck  them  and  eat  them.'  By  and  by  the  lord  of 
the  garden  came,  and  missing  the  fruit  from  the  fig-trees, 
began  to  make  inquiry  after  them.  The  lame  one,  to 
excuse  himself,  pled,  'I  have  no  legs  to  walk  with;'  and 
the  blind  one,  to  excuse  himself,  pled,  '  I  have  no  eyes  to 
see  with.'  What  did  the  lord  of  the  garden  do?  He 
caused  the  lame  to  mount  upon  the  back  of  the  blind,  and 
judged  them  both  as  one."  So  likewise  will  God  re-unite 
soul  and  body,  and  judge  them  both  as  one  together ;  as 
it  is  written  (Ps.  1.  4),  "  He  shall  call  to  the  heavens  from 
above,  and  to  the  earth,  that  He  may  judge  His  people." 
"  He  shall  call  to  the  heavens  from  above,"  that  alludes  to 
the  soul;  "  and  to  the  earth,  that  He  may  judge  His  people," 
that  refers  to  the  body.  Sanhedriri,  fol.  91,  cols.  1,  2. 

Xote. — Rabbi  Yehudah,  surnamed  the  Holy,  the  editor  of 
the  Mishna,  is  the  personage  here  and  elsewhere  spoken 
of  as  the  Rabbi  by  pre-eminence.  He  was  an  intimate 
friend  of  the  Roman  Emperor  Antoninus  Pius. 

23.  One  thing  obtained  with  difficulty  is  far  better  than 
a  hundred  things  procured  with  ease. 

Avoth  d'Mab.  Nathan,  ch.  3. 

24.  In  the  name  of  Rav,  Rabbi  Yehoshua  bar  Abba 
says,  "Whoso  buys  a  scroll  of  the  law  in  the  market 
seizes  possession  of  another's  meritorious  act;  but  if  he 
himself  copies  out  a  scroll  of  the  law,  Scripture  considers 
him  as  if  he  had  himself  received  it  direct  from  Mount 
Sinai."  "  Nay,"  adds  Rav  Yehudah,  in  the  name  of  Rav, 
"  even  if  he  has  amended  one  letter  in  it,  Scripture  con- 
siders him  as  if  he  had  written  it  out  entirely." 

Menachoth,  fol.  30,  col.  1. 


8  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

25.  He  who  forgets  one  thing  that  he  has  learned 
breaks  a  negative  commandment ;  for  it  is  written  (Deut. 
iv.  9),  "Take  heed  to  thyself  .  .  .  lest  thou  forget  the 
things."  Menachoth,  fol.  99,  col.  2. 

26.  A  proselyte  who  has  taken  it  upon  himself  to  ob- 
serve the  law,  but  is  suspected  of  neglecting  one  point, 
is  to  be  suspected  of  being  guilty  of  neglecting  the  whole 
law,  and  therefore  regarded  as  an  apostate  Israelite,  and 
to  be  punished  accordingly.  Bechoroth,  fol.  30,  col.  2. 

Note. — The  same  sentiment,  which  is  a  Jewish  one,  is  more 
peremptorily  and  absolutely  delivered  in  James  ii.  10. 

27.  It  is  written  (Gen.  xxviii.  11),  "And  he  took  from 
the  stones  of  the  place;"  and  again  it  is  written  (ver.  18), 
"  And  he  took  the  stone."  Rabbi  Isaac  says  this  teaches 
that  all  these  stones  gathered  themselves  together  into 
one  place,  as  if  each  were  eager  that  the  saint  should  lay 
his  head  upon  it.  It  happened,  as  the  Rabbis  tell  us,  that 
all  the  stones  were  swallowed  up  by  one  another,  and  thus 
merged  into  one  stone.  Chullm,  fol.  91,  col.  2. 

Note. — Though  the  Midrash  and  two  of  the  Targums,  that 
of  Jonathan  and  the  Yerushalmi,  tell  the  same  fanciful 
story  about  these  stones,  Aben  Ezra  and  R.  Shemuel  ben 
Meir  among  others  adopt  the  opposite  and  common-sense 
interpretation  which  assigns  to  the  word  ^IND,  in  Gen. 
xxviii.  1 1,  no  such  occult  meaning. 

28.  The  psalms  commencing  "  Blessed  is  the  man"  and 
li  Why  do  the  heathen  rage  "  constitute  but  one  psalm. 

Berachoth,  fol.  9,  col.  2. 

29.  The  former  Chasidim  used  to  sit  still  one  hour,  and 
then  pray  for  one  hour,  and  then  again  sit  still  for  one  hour. 

Ibid.,  fol.  32,  col.  2. 

30.  All  the  benedictions  in  the  Temple  used  to  conclude 
with  the  words  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  unto 
eternity;"  but  when  the  Sadducees,  corrupting  the  faith, 
maintained  that  there  was  only  one  world,  it  was  enacted 


.CHAPTER  I.  9 

that  they  should  conclude  with  the  words  "from  eternity 
unto  eternity."  Berachoth,  fol.  54,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  Sadducees  (D*pns,  Zadokim),  so  called  after 
Zadok  their  master,  as  is  known,  stood  rigidly  "by  the 
original  Mosaic  code,  and  set  themselves  determinedly 
against  all  traditional  developments.  To  the  Talmudists, 
therefore,  they  were  especially  obnoxious,  and  their  bald, 
cold  creed  is  looked  upon  by  them  with  something  like 
horror.  It  is  thus  the  Talmud  warns  against  them — 
"  Believe  not  in  thyself  till  the  day  of  thy  death,  for, 
behold,  Yochanan,  after  officiating  in  the  High  Priest- 
hood for  eighty  years,  became  in  the  end  a  Sadducee." 
(Berachoth,  fol.  29,  col.  1.)  In  Derech  Eretz  Zuta,  chap,  i., 
a  caution  is  given  which  might  well  provoke  attention — 
"  Learn  or  inquire  nothing  of  the  Sadducees,  lest  thou 
be  drawn  into  hell." 

31.  Eabbi  Yehudah  tells  us  that  Eav  says  a  man  should 
never  absent  himself  from  the  lecture-hall,  not  even  for  one 
hour ;  for  the  above  Mishnah  had  been  taught  at  college  for 
many  years,  but  the  reason  of  it  had  never  been  made 
plain  till  the  hour  when  Eabbi  Chanina  ben  Akavia  came 
and  explained  it.  Shabbath,  fol.  83,  col.  2. 

Note. — The  Mishnah  alluded  to  is  short  and  simple,  viz., 
Where  is  it  taught  that  a  ship  is  clean  to  the  touch  ? 
From  Prov.  xxx.  19,  "The  way  of  a  ship  in  the  midst 
of  the  sea  "  (i.e.,  as  the  sea  is  clean  to  the  touch,  there- 
fore a  ship  must  also  be  clean  to  the  touch).  The  force 
of  the  maxim  is  now  evident.  One  hour's  absence  from 
school  may  be  of  serious  consequence. 

32.  It  is  indiscreet  for  one  to  sleep  in  a  house  as  the 
sole  occupant,  for  Lilith  will  seize  hold  of  him. 

Ibid.,  fol.  151,  col.  2. 

Note. — Lilith  (JT^,  the  night-visiting  one,  from  b'b,  night) 
is  the  name  of  a  night  spectre,  said  to  have  been  Adam's 
first  wife,  but  who,  for  her  refractory  conduct,  was 
transformed  into  a  demon  endowed  with  power  to  injure 
and  even  destroy  infants  unprotected  by  the  necessary 
amulet  or  charm. 

33.  "  Thou  hast  acknowledged  the  Lord  this  day  to  be 


to  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

thy  God ;  and  the  Lord  hath  acknowledged  thee  this  day 
to  be  His  peculiar  people"  (Deut.  xxvi.  17,  18).  The  Holy 
One — blessed  be  He! — said  unto  Israel,  "Ye  have  made  Me 
a  name  in  the  world,  as  it  is  written  (Deut.  vi.  4),  'Hear, 

0  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord ; '  and  so  I  will 
make  you  a  name  in  the  world,  as  it  is  said  (1  Chron.  xvii. 
2 1 ),  '  And  what  one  nation  in  the  earth  is  like  Thy  people 
Israel  ? ' '  Chaggigah,  fol.  3,  col.  1. 

34.  One  in  the  Greek  language  is  Hen  (]n=gv). 

Moed  Katon,  fol.  28,  col.  1. 

Note. — This  fragment  is  given  to  show  that  the  Rabbis  did 
not  ignore  Greek  when  it  suited  their  purpose. 

35.  Why  are  the  words  of  the  Law  compared  to  fire  1 
(Jer.  xxiii.  29.)  Because,  as  fire  does  not  burn  when  there 
is  but  one  piece  of  wood,  so  do  the  words  of  the  Law  not 
maintain  the  fire  of  life  when  meditated  on  by  one  alone 
(see,  in  confirmation,  Matt,  xviii.  20). 

Taanith,  fol.  7,  col.  1. 

36.  "  And  Moses  went  up  from  the  plains  of  Moab  unto 
the  mountain  of  Nebo"  (Deut.  xxxiv.  1).  Tradition  says 
there  were  twelve  stairs,  but  that  Moses  surmounted  them 
all  in  one  step.  Soteh,  fol.  13,  col.  2. 

37.  Pieces  of  money  given  in  charity  should  not  be 
counted  over  by  twos,  but  one  by  one. 

Bava  Bathra,  foL  8,  col.  2. 

38.  "  Knowest  thou  the  time  when  the  wild  goats  of  the 
rock  bring  forth  ?  "  (Job  xxxix.  1.)  The  wild  goat  is  cruel 
to  her  offspring.  As  soon  as  they  are  brought  forth,  she 
climbs  with  them  to  the  steep  cliffs,  that  they  may  fall 
headlong  and  die.     But,  said  God  to  Job,  to  prevent  this 

1  provide  an  eagle  to  catch  the  kid  upon  its  wings,  and 
then  carry  and  lay  it  before  its  cruel  mother.  Now,  if 
that  eagle  should  be  too  soon  or  too  late  by  one  second 
only,  instant  death  to  the  kid  could  not  be  averted ;  but 


CHAPTER  /.  ii 

with  Me  one  second  is  never  changed  for  another.  Shall 
1VN  (Job)  be  now  changed  by  Me,  therefore,  into  l^N  (an 
enemy).     (Comp.  Job.  ix.  17,  and  xxxiv.  35.) 

Bava  Bathra,  fol.  16,  cols.  1,  2. 

Note. — "Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  natural  history  here, 
the  point  of  the  illustration  is  beyond  question. 

39.  A  generation  can  have  one  leader  only,  and  not  two. 

Sanhedrin,  fol.  8,  col.  1. 

40.  "  Like  the  hammer  that  breaketh  the  rock  in  pieces  " 
(Jer.  xxiii.  29).  As  a  hammer  divideth  fire  into  many 
sparks,  so  one  verse  of  Scripture  has  many  meanings  and 
many  explanations.  Ibid.,  fol.  34,  col.  1. 

Note. — In  the  Machser  for  Pentecost  (p.  69)  God  is  said  to 
have  "  explained  the  law  to  His  people,  face  to  face,  and 
on  every  point  ninety-eight  explanations  are  given." 

4 1 .  Adam  was  created  one  without  Eve.  Why  ?  That 
the  Sadducees  might  not  assert  the  plurality  of  powers  in 
]  Heaven.  Ibid.,  fol.  37,  col.  1. 

Note. — As  the  Sadducees  did  not  believe  in  a  plurality  of 
powers  in  heaven,  but  only  the  Christians,  in  the  regard 
of  the  Jews,  did  so  (by  their  profession  of  the  doctrine 
of  the  Trinity),  it  is  obvious  that  here,  as  well  as  often 
elsewhere,  the  latter  and  not  the  former  are  intended. 

42.  "  And  the  frog  (yHH)^,  sing,  no)  came  up  (DDJ"H, 
also  sing?)  and  covered  the  land  of  Egypt"  (Exod. 
viii.  1  ;  A.  V.  viii.  6).  "  There  was  but  one  frog,"  said 
Kabbi  Elazar,  "  and  she  so  multiplied  as  to  fill  the  whole 
land  of  Egypt."  "  Yes,  indeed,"  said  Eabbi  Akiva,  "  there 
was,  as  you  say,  but  one  frog,  but  she  herself  was  so  large 
as  to  fill  all  the  land  of  Egypt."  Whereupon  Eabbi 
Elazar  ben  Azariah  said  unto  him,  "  Akiva,  what  business 
hast  thou  with  Haggadah  ?  Be  off  with  thy  legends,  and 
get  thee  to  the  laws  thou  art  familiar  with  about  plagues 
and  tents.     Though  thou  sayest  right  in  this  matter,  for 


12  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

there  was  only  one  frog,  but  she  croaked  so  loud  that  the 
frogs  came  from  everywhere  else  to  her  croaking." 

Sarihedrin,  fol.  67,  col.  2. 

Note. — (a.)  Rabba,  the  grandson  of  Channa,  said  that  he 
himself  once  saw  a  frog  larger  than  any  seen  now,  though 
not  so  large  as  the  frog  in  Egypt.  It  was  as  large  as 
Acra,  a  village  of  some  sixty  houses.  (Bava  Bathra, 
fol.  73,  col.  2.) 

(b.)  Apropos  to  the  part  the  frog  was  conceived  to 
play  or  symbolise  in  the  Jewish  conception  of  the  mode 
and  ministry  of  Divine  judgment,  we  quote  the  follow- 
ing : — ■"  We  are  told  that  Samuel  once  saw  a  frog  carrying 
a  scorpion  on  its  back  across  a  river,  upon  the  opposite 
bank  of  which  a  man  stood  waiting  ready  to  be  stung. 
The  sting  proving  fatal,  so  that  the  man  died;  upon 
which  Samuel  exclaimed,  '  Lord,  they  wait  for  Thy  judg- 
ments this  day :  for  all  are  Thy  servants.'  (Ps.  cxix. 
91)."     (Nedarim,  fol.  41,  coL  1.) 

43.  "  According  to  the  days  of  one  king"  (Isa.  xxiii.  1 5). 
What  king  is  this  that  is  singled  out  as  one?  Thou  must 
say  this  is  the  King  Messiah,  and  no  other. 

Sanhedrin,  fol.  99,  col.  1. 

44.  Rabbi  Levi  contends  that  Manasseh  has  no  portion 
in  the  world  to  come,  while  Rabbi  Yehudah  maintains 
that  he  has ;  and  each  supports  his  conclusion  in  contra- 
diction of  the  other,  from  one  and  the  same  Scripture 
text.  Ibid.,  fol.  102,  col.  2. 

45.  The  words,  "Remember  the  Sabbath  day,"  in  Exod. 
xx.  8,  and  "Keep  the  Sabbath  day,"  in  Deut,  v.  12,  were 
uttered  in  one  breath,  as  no  man's  mouth  could  utter 
them,  and  no  man's  ear  could  hear. 

Shevuoth,  fol.  20,  col.  2. 

46.  The  officer  who  inflicts  flagellation  on  a  criminal 
must  smite  with  one  hand  only,  but  yet  with  all  his  force. 

Maccoth,  fol.  22,  col.  2. 

Note. — More  on  this  topic  may  be  found  in  "Genesis  accord- 
ing to  the  Talmud,"  p.  151,  n.  12. 


CHAPTER  L  13 

47.  I  would  rather  be  called  a  fool  all  my  days  than 
sin  one  hour  before  God.  Edioth,  chap.  5,  mish.  6. 

48.  He  who  observes  but  one  precept  secures  for  him- 
self an  advocate,  and  he  who  commits  one  single  sin  pro- 
cures for  himself  an  accuser.        Avoth,  chap.  4,  mish.  15. 

Note. — The  word  for  advocate  in  the  above  Mishnah  is 
B^plQ,  a  Hebrew  form  of  the  Greek  Kaedx?,7}Tog,  advocate, 
which  occurs  in  John  xiv.  16,  &c. 

49.  He  who  learns  from  another  one  chapter,  one  hala- 
chah,  one  verse,  or  one  word  or  even  a  single  letter,  is 
bound  to  respect  him.  Ibid.,  chap.  6,  mish.  3. 

Note. — The  above  is  one  evidence,  among  many,  of  the  high 
esteem  in  which  learning  and  the  office  of  a  teacher  are 
held  among  the  Jews.  Education  is  one  of  the  virtues — 
of  which  the  following,  extracted  from  the  Talmud,  is  a 
list — the  interest  of  which  the  Jew  considers  he  enjoys 
in  this  world,  while  the  capital  remains  intact  against 
the  exigencies  of  the  world  to  come.  These  are: — The 
honouring  of  father  and  mother,  acts  of  benevolence,  hospi- 
tality to  strangers,  visiting  the  sick,  devotion  in  prayer, 
promotion  of  peace  between  man  and  man,  and  study 
in  general,  but  the  study  of  the  law  outweighs  them  all. 
(Shabbath,  foL  127,  col.  1.)  The  study  of  the  law,  it 
is  said,  is  of  greater  merit  to  rescue  one  from  accidental 
death,  than  building  the  Temple,  and  greater  than  honour- 
ing father  or  mother.     (Meggillah,  fol.  16,  col.  2.) 

50.  :( Eepent  one  day  before  thy  death."  In  relation  to 
which  Eabbi  Eliezer  was  asked  by  his  disciples,  "  How  is 
a  man  to  repent  one  day  before  his  death,  since  he  does 
not  know  on  what  day  he  shall  die?"  "  So  much  the  more 
reason  is  there,"  he  replied,  "  that  he  should  repent  to-day, 
lest  he  die  to-morrow ;  and  repent  to-morrow,  lest  he  die 
the  day  after:  and  thus  will  all  his  days  be  penitential 
ones."  Avoth  d'Rab.  Nathan,  chap.  15. 

Note. — This  reminds  one  of  Horace's  admonition: — " Oninem 
crede  diem  tibi  diluxisse  supremum." 

5 1.  He  who  obliterates  one  letter  from  the  written  name 
of  God,  breaks  a  negative  command,  for  it  is  said,  "  And 


i4  A   TALMUD1C  MISCELLAXY. 

destroy  the  names  of  them  out  of  that  place.     Ye  shall 
not  do  so  unto  the  Lord  your  God"  (Deut.  xii.  3,  4). 

Sophrim,  chap.  5,  hal.  6. 

52.  Rabbi  Chanina  could  put  on  and  off  his  shoes 
whilst  standing  on  one  leg  only,  though  he  was  eighty 
years  of  age.  Chullin,  fol.  24,  col.  2. 

53.  A  priest  who  is  blind  in  one  eye  should  not  be  judge 
of  the  plague  ;  for  it  is  said  (Lev.  xiii.  12),  "Wheresoever 
the  priest  (with  both  eyes)  looketh." 

Negaim,  chap.  2,  mish.  3. 

54.  The  twig  of  a  bunch  without  any  grapes  is  clean ; 
but  if  there  remained  one  grape  on  it,  it  is  unclean. 

OJczin,  chap.  1,  mish.  5. 


(     i5    ) 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE   'TWOS'    OF   THE   TALMUD. 

i.  Not  every  man  deserves  to  have  two  tables. 

Berachoth,  fol.  5,  col.  2. 

Note. — The  meaning  of  this  rather  ambiguous  sentence  may 
either  be,  that  all  men  are  not  able  to  succeed  in  more 
enterprises  than  one  at  a  time ;  or  that  it  is  not  given  to 
every  one  to  make  the  best  both  of  the  present  world 
and  of  that  which  is  to  come. 

2.  Abba  Benjamin  nsed  to  say  "  There  are  two  things 
about  which  I  have  all  my  life  been  much  concerned:  that 
my  prayer  should  be  offered  in  front  of  my  bed,  and  that 
the  position  of  my  bed  should  be  from  north  to  south." 

Ibid.,  fol.  5,  col.  2. 

Note. — There  are  several  reasons  which  may  be  adduced  to 
account  for  Abba  Benjamin's  anxiety,  and  they  are  all 
more  or  less  connected  with  the  important  consequences 
which  were  supposed  to  depend  upon  determining  his 
position  with  reference  to  the  Shechinah,  which  rested 
in  the  east  or  the  west. 

(a.)  Abba  Benjamin  felt  anxious  to  have  children,  for 
"  any  man  not  having  children  is  counted  as  dead,"  as 
it  is  written  (Gen.  xxx.  1),  "Give  me  children,  or  else 
I  die."     (Nedarin,  fol.  64,  coL  2.) 

(b.)  With  the  Jew  one  great  consideration  of  life  is 
to  have  children,  and  more  especially  male  children; 
because  when  a  boy  is  born  all  rejoice  over  him,  but 
over  a  girl  they  all  mourn.  When  a  boy  comes  into 
the  world  he  brings  peace  with  him,  and  a  loaf  of  bread 
in  his  hand,  but  a  girl  brings  nothing.  (Niddah,  fol.  31, 
col.  2.) 

(c.)  It  is  impossible  for  the  world  to  be  without  males 


16  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

and  females,  but  blessed  is  he  whose  children  are  boys, 
and  hapless  is  he  whose  children  are  girls.  (Kiddushin, 
fol.  82,  col.  2.) 

(d.)  Whosoever  does  not  leave  a  son  to  be  heir,  God 
will  heap  wrath  upon  him.  (Scripture  is  quoted  in 
proof  of  this,  compare  Numb,  xxvii.  8  with  Zeph.  i.  15.) 
(Bava  Bathra,  fol.  116,  coL  1.) 

3.  "  There  are  two  ways  before  me,  one  leading  into 
Paradise,  the  other  into  Hell."  When  Yochanan,  the  son 
of  Zacliai,  was  sick  unto  death,  his  disciples  came  to  visit 
him ;  and  when  he  saw  them  he  wept,  upon  which  his 
disciples  exclaimed,  "  Light  of  Israel !  Pillar  of  the  right ! 
Mighty  Hammer !  why  weepest  thou  ? "  He  replied,  "  If 
I  were  going  to  be  led  into  the  presence  of  a  king,  who  is 
but  flesh  and  blood,  to-day  here  and  to-morrow  in  the 
grave,  whose  anger  with  me  could  not  last  for  ever,  whose 
sentence  against  me,  were  it  even  unto  death,  could  not 
endure  for  ever,  and  wThom  perhaps  I  might  pacify  with 
words  or  bribe  with  money,  yet  for  all  that  should  I 
weep ;  but  now  that  I  am  about  to  enter  the  presence  of 
the  King  of  kings,  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  for  ever 
and  ever ! — whose  anger  would  be  everlasting,  whose  sen- 
tence of  death  or  imprisonment  admits  of  no  reprieve,  and 
who  is  not  to  be  pacified  with  words  nor  bribed  with 
money,  and  in  whose  presence  there  are  two  roads  before 
me,  one  leading  into  Paradise  and  the  other  into  Hell,  and 
should  I  not  weep  ? "  Then  prayed  they  him,  and  said, 
"  Eabbi,  give  us  thy  farewell  blessing ; "  and  he  said  unto 
them,  "  Oh  that  the  fear  of  God  may  be  as  much  upon  you 
as  the  fear  of  man."  Berachoth,  fol.  28,  col.  2. 

Note. — See  Shakespeare's  "  Henry  VIIL,"  act  iii.  sc.  2,  and 
contrast  the  words  of  this  light  of  Israel  with  the  words 
of  St.  Paul,  his  contemporary,  in  2  Tim.  iv.  6-8,  uttered 
in  the  prospect  and  near  presence  of  the  same  dread 
reality. 

4.  Eabbi  Ami  says,  "Knowledge  is  of  great  price,  for  it  is 
placed  between  two  divine  names,  as  it  is  written  (1  Sam. 


CHAPTER  II 


17 


ii.  3),  "  A  God  of  knowledge  is  the  Lord,"  and  therefore 
mercy  is  to  be  denied  to  him  who  has  no  knowledge ;  for 
it  is  written  (Isa.  xxvii.  11),  "  It  is  a  people  of  no 
understanding,  therefore  He  that  hath  made  them  will 
not  have  mercy  on  them."  Berachoth,  fol.  33,  col.  1. 

Xote. — (a.)  Here  we  have  a  clear  law,  drawn  from  Scripture, 
forbidding,  or  at  any  rate  denying,  mercy  to  the  ignorant. 
The  words  of  Eabbi  (the  Holy)  are  a  practical  commen- 
tary on  the  text  worth  quoting,  "  Woe  is  unto  me  be- 
cause I  have  given  my  morsel  to  an  ignorant  one  (oy 
pxn)."     (Bava  Bathra,  fol.  8,  col.  1.) 

(b.)  But  who  is  the  ignorant  one  from  whom  this  mercy 
is  to  be  withheld?  Here  the  doctors  disagree.  He, 
says  Eabbi  Eliezer,  who  does  not  read  the  yow,  Shema, 
"  Hear,  O  Israel,"&c.,  both  morning  and  evening.  Accord- 
ing to  Kabbi  Yehudah,  he  that  does  not  put  on  phylac- 
teries is  an  ignorant  one.  Rabbi  Azai  affirms  that  he 
who  wears  no  fringes  to  his  garment  is  an  ignorant  one, 
&c.  Others  again  say  he  who  even  reads  the  Bible 
and  the  Mishna,  but  does  not  serve  the  disciples  of  the 
wise,  is  an  ignorant  one.  Rabbi  Huna  winds  up  with 
the  words  D^IPIX^  iTzhn,  "  the  law  is  as  the  others  have 
said,"  and  so  leaves  the  difficulty  where  he  finds  it. 
(Berachoth,  fol.  47,  col.  2.) 

(e.)  Of  him  "  who  transgresses  the  words  of  the  wise, 
which  he  is  commanded  to  obey,"  it  is  written,  "  He  is 
guilty  of  death  and  has  forfeited  his  life."  (Berachoth, 
fol.  4,  col.  2,  and  Yevamoth,  fol.  20,  col.  1.)  Whoso, 
therefore,  shows  mercy  to  him  contradicts  the  purpose 
and  incurs  the  displeasure  of  God.  It  was  in  applica- 
tion of  this  principle,  literally  interpreted,  that  the  wise 
should  hold  no  parley  with  the  ignorant,  which  led 
the  Jews  to  condemn  the  contrary  procedure  of  Jesus 
Christ, 

(d.)  It  was  this  prohibition  to  show  mercy  to  the 
ignorant,  together  with  the  solemn  threatenings  directed 
against  those  who  neglected  the  study  of  the  law,  that 
worked  such  a  wonderful  revolution  in  Hezekiah's  time ; 
for  it  is  said  that  then  "  they  searched  from  Dan  to 
Beersheba,  and  did  not  find  an  ignorant  one."  (Sanhedrin, 
fol.  94,  col.  2.) 

5.  When  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! — remembers 

B 


18  A  TALMUD IC  MISCELLANY. 

that  His  children  are  in  trouble  amongst  the  nations  of 
the  world,  He  drops  two  tears  into  the  great  ocean,  the 
noise  of  which  startles  the  world  from  one  end  to  the 
other,  and  causes  the  earth  to  quake. 

Berachoth,  fol.  59,  col.  1. 

6.  We  read  in  the  Talmud  that  a  Gentile  once  came  to 
Shamai  and  said,  "  How  many  laws  have  you  ?  "  Shamai 
replied,  "  We  have  two,  the  written  law  and  the  oral  law." 
To  which  the  Gentile  made  answer,  "When  you  speak 
of  the  written  law,  I  believe  you,  but  in  your  oral  law 
I  have  no  faith.  Nevertheless,  you  may  make  me  a  pro- 
selyte on  condition  that  you  teach  me  the  written  law 
only."  Upon  this  Shamai  rated  him  sharply,  and  sent 
him  away  with  indignant  abuse.  When,  however,  this 
Gentile  came  with  the  same  object,  and  proposed  the 
same  terms  to  Hillel,  the  latter  proceeded  at  once  to  pro- 
selytise him,  and  on  the  first  day  taught  him  Aleph, 
Beth,  Gemel,  Daleth.  On  the  morrow  Hillel  reversed  the 
order  of  these  letters,  upon  which  the  proselyte  remon- 
strated and  said,  "  But  thou  didst  not  teach  me  so  yester- 
day." "  True,"  said  Hillel,  "  but  thou  didst  trust  me  in 
what  I  taught  thee  then ;  why,  then,  dost  thou  not  trust 
me  now  in  what  I  tell  thee  respecting  the  oral  law  ?  " 

Shabbath,  fol.  31,  col.  1. 

7.  Every  man  as  he  goes  on  the  eve  of  the  Sabbath 
from  the  synagogue  to  his  house  is  escorted  by  two  angels, 
one  of  which  is  a  good  angel  and  the  other  an  evil. 
When  the  man  comes  home  and  finds  the  lamps  lit,  the 
table  spread,  and  the  bed  in  order,  the  good  angel  says, 
''May  the  coming  Sabbath  be  even  as  the  present;"  to 
which  the  evil  angel  (though  with  reluctance)  is  obliged 
to  say,  "  Amen."  But  if  all  be  in  disorder,  then  the  bad 
angel  says, "  May  the  coming  Sabbath  be  even  as  the  pre- 
sent," and  the  good  angel  is  (with  equal  reluctance) 
obliged  to  say  "  Amen  "  to  it.  Ibid,  fol.  119,  col.  2. 


CHAPTER  II.  19 

8.  Two  are  better  than  three.  Alas  !  for  the  one  that 
goes  and  does  not  return  again. 

Sliahbath,  fol.  152,  col.  1. 

Note. — As  in  the  riddle  of  the  Sphinx,  the  "  two  "  here 
stands  for  youth  with  its  two  sufficient  legs,  and  the 
"  three  "  for  old  age,  which  requires  a  third  support  in 
a  staff.  The  one  that  goes  and  does  not  return  is  youth 
after  it  has  faded  away. 

9.  There  were  two  things  which  God  first  thought  of 
creating  on  the  eve  of  the  Sabbath,  which,  however,  were 
not  created  till  after  the  Sabbath  had  closed.  The  first 
wTas  fire,  wdiich  Adam  by  divine  suggestion  drew  forth 
by  striking  together  two  stones ;  and  the  second,  was  the 
mule,  produced  by  the  crossing  of  two  different  animals. 

P'sachim,  fol.  54,  col.  1. 

10.  "Every  one  has  two  portions,  one  in  paradise  and 
another  in  hell."  Acheer  asked  Eabbi  Meyer,  "What 
meaneth  this  that  is  written  (Eccl.  vii.  14),  '  God  also  has 
set  the  one  over  against  the  other '  ?  "  Eabbi  Meyer  replied, 
"  There  is  nothing  which  God  has  created  of  which  He  has 
not  also  created  the  opposite.  He  who  created  mountains 
and  hills  created  also  seas  and  rivers."  But  said  Acheer 
to  Eabbi  Meyer,  "  Thy  master,  Eabbi  Akiva,  did  not  say 
so,  but  spake  in  this  way :  He  created  the  righteous  and 
also  the  wicked ;  He  created  paradise  and  hell :  every  man 
has  two  portions,  one  portion  in  paradise,  and  the  other  in 
hell.  The  righteous,  who  has  personal  merit,  carries  both 
his  own  portion  of  good  and  that  of  his  wicked  neighbour 
away  with  him  to  paradise ;  the  wicked,  who  is  guilty  and 
condemned,  carries  both  his  own  portion  of  evil  and  also 
that  of  his  righteous  neighbour  away  with  him  to  hell." 
When  Eav  Mesharshia  asked  what  Scripture  guarantee 
there  was  for  this,  this  was  the  reply:  "  With  regard  to  the 
righteous,  it  is  written  (Isa.  lxi.  7),  '  They  shall  rejoice  in 
their  portion,  therefore  in  their  land  (beyond  the  grave) 


20  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

they  shall  possess  the  double*  Eespecting  the  wicked  it 
is  written  (Jer.  xvii.  18),  'And  destroy  them  with  double 
destruction.'"  Chaggigah,  fol.  15,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  question  asked  above  by  Acheer  has  been  practi- 
cally resolved  by  all  wise  men  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world,  but  it  is  the  boast  of  the  Hegelians  that  it  has 
for  the  first  time  been  resolved  philosophically  by  their 
master.  Others  had  maintained  that  you  could  not 
think  a  thing  but  through  its  opposite ;  he  first  main- 
tained it  could  not  exist  but  through  its  opposite,  that, 
in  fact,  the  thing  and  its  opposite  must  needs  arise 
together,  and  that  eternally,  as  complements  of  one 
unity  :  the  white  is  not  there  without  the  black,  nor  the 
black  without .  the  white  ;  the  good  is  not  there  without 
the  evil,  nor  the  evil  without  the  good. 

11.  Pride  is  unbecoming  in  women.  There  were  two 
proud  women,  and  their  names  were  contemptible;  the 
name  of  the  one,  Deborah,  meaning  wasp,  and  of  the  other, 
Huldah,  weasel.  Eespecting  the  wasp  it  is  written 
(Judges  iv.  6),  "  And  she  sent  and  called  Barak,"  whereas 
she  ought  to  have  gone  to  him.  Concerning  the  weasel 
it  is  written  (2  Kings  xxii.  1 5),  "  Tell  the  man  that  sent 
you,"  whereas  she  should  have  said,  "  Tell  the  king." 

Meggillah,  fol.  14,  col.  2. 

12.  If  speech  is  worth  one  sela  (a  small  coin  so  called), 
silence  is  worth  two.  Ibid.,  fol.  18,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  Swiss  motto,  "  Speech  is  worth  silver,  silence 
worth  gold,"  expresses  a  sentiment  which  finds  great 
favour  with  the  authors  and  varied  expression  in  the 
pages  of  the  Talmud. 

(a.)  If  silence  be  good  for  wise  men,  how  much  better 
must  it  be  for  fools  !     (P'sachim,  fol.  98,  col.  2.) 

(b.)  For  every  evil  silence  is  the  best  remedy.  (Meg- 
gillah, fol.  18,  col.  1.) 

(c.)  Silence  is  as  good  as  confession.  (Yevamotli,  fol. 
87,  coL  1.) 

(d.)  Silence  in  a  Babylonian  was  a  mark  of  his  being 
of  good  family.     (Kiddushin,  fol.  71,  col.  2.) 


CHAPTER  II.  21 

(e.)  Simeon,  the  son  of  Gamliel,  said,  "I  have  been 
brought  up  all  my  life  among  the  wise,  and  I  have  never 
found  anything  of  more  material  benefit  than  silence." 
(Avoth,  chap,  i.) 

(/.)  Eabbi  Akiva  said,  "Laughter  and  levity  lead 
a  man  to  lewdness ;  but  tradition  is  a  fence  to  the  law, 
tithes  are  a  fence  to  riches,  vows  are  a  fence  to  abstinence, 
while  the  fence  of  wisdom  is  silence."     (Ibid.,  chap.  3.) 

13.  When  they  opened  his  brain,  they  found  in  it  a 
gnat  as  big  as  a  swallow  and  weighing  two  selas. 

Gittin,  fol.  56,  col.  2. 

Xote. — The  context  of  the  above  states  a  tradition  current 
among  the  Jews  in  reference  to  Titus,  the  destroyer  of 
Jerusalem.  It  is  said  that  when,  after  taking  the  city, 
he  had  shamefully  violated  and  profaned  the  Temple,  he 
took  the  sacred  vessels  of  the  sanctuary,  wrapped  them  in 
the  veil  of  the  holy  place,  and  sailed  with  them  to  Rome. 
At  sea  a  storm  arose  and  threatened  to  sink  the  ship; 
upon  which  he  was  heard  reflecting,  "It  seems  the  God  of 
these  Jews  has  no  power  anywhere  but  at  sea.  Pharaoh 
He  drowned,  and  Sisera  He  drowned  (sic  in  original), 
and  now  He  is  about  to  drown  me  also.  If  He  be 
mighty,  let  Him  go  ashore  and  contend  with  me  there." 
Then  came  a  voice  from  heaven  (?)p  m)  and  said,  "  0 
thou  wicked  one,  son  of  a  wicked  man  and  grandson  of 
Esau  the  wicked,  go  ashore.  I  have  a  creature — an 
insignificant  one  in  my  world — go  and  fight  with  it." 

This  creature  was  a  gnat,  and  is  called  insignificant 
because  it  must  receive  and  discharge  what  it  eats  by 
one  aperture.  Immediately,  therefore,  he  landed,  when 
a  gnat  flew  up  his  nostrils  and  made  its  way  to  his  brain, 
on  which  it  fed  for  a  period  of  seven  years.  One  day 
he  happened  to  pass  a  blacksmith's  forge,  when  the  noise 
of  the  hammer  soothed  the  gnawing  at  his  brain.  "Aha !  " 
said  Titus,  "  I  have  found  a  remedy  at  last ; "  and  he 
ordered  a  blacksmith  to  hammer  before  him.  To  a 
Gentile  for  this  he  (for  a  time)  paid  four  zuzim  a  day,  but 
to  a  Jewish  blacksmith  he  paid  nothing,  remarking  to  him, 
"It  is  payment  enough  to  thee  to  see  thy  enemy  suffer- 
ing so  painfully."  For  thirty  days  he  felt  relieved,  but 
after,  no  amount  of  hammering  in  the  least  relieved  him. 
As  to  what   happened   after   his   death,  we  have  this 


22  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

testimony  from  Rabbi  Phineas,  the  son  of  Aruba :  "  I 
myself  was  among  the  Roman  magnates  when  an  inquest 
was  held  upon  the  body  of  Titus,  and  on  opening  his 
brain  they  found  therein  a  gnat  as  big  as  a  swallow, 
weighing  two  selas."  Others  say  it  was  as  large  as 
a  pigeon  a  year  old  and  weighed  two  litras.  Abaii  says, 
"  We  found  its  mouth  was  of  copper  and  its  claws  of 
iron."  Titus  gave  instructions  that  after  his  death  his 
body  should  be  burned,  and  the  ashes  thereof  scattered 
over  the  surface  of  the  seven  seas,  that  the  God  of  the 
Jews  might  not  find  him  and  bring  him  to  judgment. 
(Gittin,  fol.  56,  col.  2.) 

14.  "The  man  with  two  wives,  one  young  and  the  other 
old."  Rav  Ami  and  Rav  Assi  were  in  social  converse 
with  Rabbi  Isaac  Naphcha,  when  one  of  them  said  to  him, 
"  Tell  us,  sir,  some  pretty  legend,"  and  the  other  said, 
"Pray  explain  to  us  rather  some  nice  point  of  law." 
When  he  began  the  legend,  he  displeased  the  one,  and 
when  he  proceeded  to  explain  a  point  of  law,  he  offended 
the  other.  Whereupon  he  took  up  this  parable  in  illustra- 
tion of  the  plight  in  which  their  obstinacy  placed  him.  "  I 
am  like  the  man  with  the  two  wives,  the  one  young  and 
the  other  old.  The  young  one  plucked  out  all  his  grey 
hairs,  (that  he  might  look  young),  and  the  old  wife  pulled 
out  all  his  black  hairs  (that  he  might  look  old) ;  and  so 
between  the  one  and  the  other  he  became  bald.  So  is  it 
with  me  between  you.  However,  I've  something  nice  for 
both  of  you.  It  is  written  (Exod.  xxii.  6),  '  If  a  fire  break 
out  and  catch  in  thorns,  so  that  the  stacks  of  corn,  or  the 
standing  corn,  or  the  field  be  consumed  therewith,  he  that 
kindled  the  fire  shall  surely  make  restoration.'  The  Holy 
One — blessed  be  He  ! — hath  said,  '  I  must  both  judge 
myself  and  take  upon  myself  to  indemnify  the  evil  of  the 
conflagration  I  have  caused,  for  I  have  kindled  a  fire  in  Zion,' 
as  it  is  written  (Lament,  iv.  11),  'He  hath  kindled  a  fire 
in  Zion,  and  hath  devoured  the  foundations  thereof.'  I 
must   therefore  rebuild   her  with   fire,  as  it  is  written, 


CHAPTER  II.  23 

(Zecli.  ii.  5),  '  I  will  be  unto  her  a  wall  of  fire  round 
about,  and  will  be  the  glory  in  the  midst  of  her.' " 

Bava  Kama,  fol.  60,  col.  2. 

15.  Eabbi  Oshaia  asked,  "What  is  this  that  is  written, 
(Zecli.  xi.  7),  '  I  took  unto  me  two  staves ;  the  one  I  called 
Amiable  and  the  other  Destroyer '  ? "  The  staff  called 
Amiable  represents  the  disciples  of  the  wise  in  the  land 
of  Israel,  who  were  friendly  one  towards  another  in  their 
debates  about  the  law.  The  staff  called  Destroyer  repre- 
sents the  disciples  of  the  wise  of  Babylon,  who  in  the  like 
debates  were  fierce  tempered  and  not  friendly  towards  one 
another.  What  is  the  meaning  of  Babel  or  Babylon  ? 
Eabbi  Yochanan  says  it  means  rb*bl  K")pQ2  VO'bl 
D'torQ  rb'bz  mran,  that  is,  "  confused  in  the  Bible, 
confused  in  the  Mishna,  and  confused  in  the  Talmud." 
"  He  hath  set  me  in  dark  places,  as  they  that  be  dead  of 
old  "  (Lam.  iii.  6).  Babbi  Jeremiah  said  by  this  we  are  to 
understand  the  Babylonian  Talmud. 

Sanliedrin,  fol.  24,  col.  1. 

Note. — (a.)  V'P7\  stands  for  DmD  nwn,  the  six  sedarim  or 
orders  of  the  Talmud.  The  Kabbis  say  these  three  hate 
their  fellows  —  dogs,  cocks,  and  conjurors;  to  which 
some  add,  among  others,  the  disciples  of  the  wise  of 
Babylon.      (Psachim,  fol.  113,  col.  2.) 

(b.)  On  his  return  from  Babylon  to  the  land  of  Israel, 
Rabbi  Zira  fasted  a  hundred  fasts,  during  which  he 
prayed  that  he  might  be  enabled  to  forget  the  Babylonian 
Talmud.    (Bava  Metzia,  fol.  85,  col.  1,  and  Rashi  in  loco.) 

16.  Babbi  Yochanan  and  Babbi  Yonathan  travelled 
one  day  together  ;  they  came  to  two  roads,  one  of  which  led 
by  the  door  of  a  place  devoted  to  the  worship  of  idols, 
and  the  other  by  a  place  of  ill  fame.  Upon  which  one 
said  to  the  other,  "  Let  us  go  by  the  former,  because  our 
inclination  to  the  evil  that  waylays  us  there  is  already 
extinguished."  "  Nay,  rather,"  said  the  other,  "  let  us  go 
by  the  latter,  and  curb  our  desires  ;   so  shall  we  receive  a 


24  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

reward  in  recompense."  In  this  resolution  they  went  on, 
and  as  they  passed  the  place  the  women  humbled  them- 
selves before  them  and  withdrew  ashamed  into  their 
chambers.  Then  Yochanan  asked  the  other,  "  How  didst 
thou  know  that  this  would  occur  to  us  ? "  He  made 
answer,  "  From  what  is  written  (in  Prov.  ii.  2),  '  Discretion 
(in  the  law)  shall  preserve  thee.'  " 

Avodah  Zarah,  fol.  17,  cols.  1,  2. 

17.  Given  two  dry  firebrands  and  one  piece  of  green 
wood,  the  dry  will  set  fire  to  the  green. 

Sanhedrin,  fol.  93,  col.  1. 

18.  With  two  dogs  they  caught  the  lion. 

Ibid.,  fol.  95,  col.  r. 

Note. — Both  these  proverbs  express  the  same  idea,  that 
a  minority,  be  it  ever  so  strong,  must  give  way  to  a 
majority. 

19.  "And  the  elders  of  Moab  and  the  elders  of  Midian 
departed  together"  (Numb.  xxii.  7).  Midian  and  Moab, 
were  never  friendly  towards  each  other  ;  they  were  like 
two  dogs  tending  a  flock,  always  at  variance.  When  the 
wolf  came  upon  the  one,  however,  the  other  thought,  "  If  I 
do  not  help  my  neighbour  to-day,  the  wolf  may  come  upon 
myself  to-morrow  ;"  therefore  the  two  dogs  leagued  together 
and  killed  the  wolf.  Hence,  says  Eabbi  Pappa,  the  popu- 
lar saying,  "  The  mouse  and  the  cat  are  combined  to  make 
a  feast  on  the  fat  of  the  unfortunate." 

Ibid.,  fol.  105,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  moral  of  this  is  obvious.  Herodotus  expresses  it 
tersely  in  Greek,  "Tveanog  rvzdvvw  ffvyxanpyd^iTat  "  (One 
tyrant  aids  another). 

20.  Eabbi  Yochanan,  in  the  name  of  Yossi,  the  son  of 
Zimra,  asks,  "  What  is  this  that  is  written  (Ps.  cxx.  3), 
'  What  shall  be  given  unto  thee,  or  what  shall  be  added 
unto  thee,  0  thou  false  tongue '  ? "    The  Holy  One — blessed 


CHAPTER  IT.  25 

be  He  ! — said  to  the  tongue,  "  All  the  members  of  the  body 
are  erect,  thou  only  art  recumbent ;  all  other  members  are 
without,  thou  art  within,  and  not  only  so,  for  I  have  sur- 
rounded thee  with  two  walls,  one  of  bone  and  the  other  of 
flesh.  What  shall  be  given  to  thee,  or  what  shall  be  added 
unto  thee,  0  thou  false  tongue  ? "  Eabbi  Yochanan,  in  the 
name  of  Yossi,  says,  "  He  who  slanders  is  an  atheist,  for  it 
is  written  (Ps.  xii.  4),  '  Who  have  said,  With  our  tongues 
will  we  prevail ;  our  lips  are  with  us ;  who  is  lord 
over  us  ? '"  Urchin,  f ol.  1 5,  col.  2. 

Note. — This  may  seem  the  place  to  append  a  few  sayings 
from  the  Talmud  on  the  abuse  of  the  tongue. 

(a.)  He  who  slanders,  he  who  receives  slander,  and  he 
who  bears  false  witness  against  his  neighbour,  deserve  to 
be  cast  to  the  dogs.     (Psachim,  fol.  118,  col.  1.) 

(b.)  All  animals  will  one  day  remonstrate  with  the 
serpent  and  say,  "  The  lion  treads  upon  his  prey  and 
devours  it,  the  wolf  tears  and  eats  it,  but  thou,  what 
profit  hast  thou  in  biting?"  The  serpent  will  reply 
(Eccl.  viii.  11),  "I  am  no  worse  than  a  slanderer." 
(Taanifh,  fol.  8,  col.  1.) 

(c.)  Adonijah  was  deprived  of  life  for  no  other  reason 
than  that  he  was  given  to  quarrelling.  It  is  lawful  to 
slander  one  so  evil-disposed  as  he  was.    (Per el:  Hashalom. ) 

(d.)  God  will  say  to  the  prince  of  hell,  "  I  from 
above  and  thou  from  below  shall  judge  and  condemn  the 
slanderer."     (Urchin,  fol.  15,  col.  2.) 

(e.)  The  third  tongue  (i.e.,  slander)  hurts  three  parties  : 
the  slanderer  himself,  the  receiver  of  slander,  and  the 
person  slandered.     (Ibid.) 

(/.)  Four  classes  do  not  receive  the  presence  of  the 
Shechinah :  scorners,  liars,  flatterers,  and  slanderers, 
(Sanhedrin,  fol.  103,  col.  1.) 

21.  Where  are  we  told  that  when  two  sit  together  and 
study  the  law  the  Shechinah  is  with  them  ?  In  Mai. 
iii.  16,  where  it  is  written,  "  They  that  feared  the  Lord 
spake  often  one  to  another,  and  the  Lord  hearkened  and 
heard  it."  Berachoth,  fol.  6,  col.  1. 

22.  Why   did   Elijah  employ   two   invocations,  saying 


26  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

twice  over,  "Hear  me!  hear  me!"  (i  Kings  xviii.  37). 
Elijah  first  prayed  before  God,  "  0  Lord,  King  of  the 
universe,  hear  me  !  "  that  He  might  send  fire  down  from 
heaven  and  consume  all  that  was  upon  the  altar ;  and 
again  he  prayed,  "  Hear  me  !  "  that  they  might  not  imagine 
that  the  result  was  a  matter  of  sorcery  ;  for  it  is  said,  '  Thou 
hast  turned  their  heart  back  again.'  " 

Berachoth,  fol.  9,  col.  2. 
Note. — The   twofold  invocation  of   Elijah,  which  betokens 
his  intense  earnestness,  anagrammatically  expressed,  is 
echoed  in  the  words  of  the  bystanders,  DTl^n  Sin  mn\ 
"  The  Lord  He  is  the  God,  the  Lord  He  is  the  God." 

23.  "I  dreamed,"  said  Bar  Kappara  one  day  to  Eabbi 
(the  Holy),  "  that  I  beheld  two  pigeons,  and  they  flew 
away  from  me."  "  Thy  dream  is  this,"  replied  Eabbi,  "  thou 
hast  had  two  wives,  and  art  separated  from  them  both 
without  a  bill  of  divorcement."  Ibid,  fol.  56,  col.  2. 

24.  The  Eabbis  teach  concerning  the  two  kidneys  in 
man,  that  one  counsels  him  to  do  good  and  the  other  to 
do  evil ;  and  it  appears  that  the  former  is  situated  on  the 
risdit  side  and  the  latter  on  the  left.  Hence  it  is  written, 
(Eccl.  x.  2),  "  A  wise  man's  heart  is  at  his  right  hand,  but 
a  fool's  heart  is  at  his  left."  Ibid.,  fol.  61,  col.  1. 

25.  For  two  sins  the  common  people  perish  :  they  speak 
of  the  holy  ark  as  a  box  and  the  synagogue  as  a  resort 
for  the  ignorant  vulgar.  Shabbath,  fol.  32,  col.  1. 

26.  On  the  self-same  day  when  Jeroboam  introduced 
the  two  golden  calves,  the  one  into  Bethel  and  the  other 
into  Dan,  a  hut  was  erected  in  a  part  of  Italy  which  was 
then  subject  to  the  Greeks.  Ibid.,  col.  56,  fol.  2. 

Note. — In  the  context  where  the  above  tradition  occurs, 
which,  as  is  obvious,  relates  to  the  founding  of  Eome,  we 
meet  with  another  on  the  same  subject  as  follows  : — 
When  Solomon  married  the  daughter  of  Eharaoh,  the 


CHAPTER  II.  27 

Angel  Gabriel  thrust  a  reed  into  the  sea,  stirring  up 
therewith  the  sand  and  mud  from  the  bottom.  This, 
gradually  collecting,  first  shaped  itself  into  an  island  and 
then  expanded  so  as  to  unite  itself  with  the  continent. 
And  thus  was  the  land  created  for  the  erection  of  the 
hut  which  should  one  day  swell  into  the  proportion  of 
a  proud  imperial  city. 

27.  If  Israel  kept  only  two  Sabbaths,  according  to  the 
strict  requirement  of  the  law,  they  would  be  freed  at  once 
from  their  compelled  dispersion;  for  it  is  written  (Isa.  lvi. 
4,  7),  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  the  eunuchs  that  keep 
my  Sabbaths  (MTirQttf,  dual  form),  Even  them  will  I  bring- 
to  my  holy  mountain."  Shabbath,  fol.  118,  col.  2. 

28.  Adam  had  two  faces ;  for  it  is  said  (Ps.  cxxxix.  5), 
"  Thou  hast  made  me  behind  and  before." 

Mruvin,  fol.  18,  col.  1. 

Kote. — There  is  a  notion  among  the  Eabbis  that  Adam  was 
possessed  originally  of  a  bisexual  organisation,  and  this 
conclusion  they  draw  from  Gen.  i.  27,  where  it  is  said, 
"  God  created  man  in  His  own  image ;  male-female  created 
He  them."  These  two  natures,  it  was  thought,  lay  side 
by  side  ;  according  to  some,  the  male  on  the  right  and 
the  female  on  the  left;  according  to  others,  back  to 
back ;  while  there  were  those  who  maintained  that 
Adam  was  created  with  a  tail,  and  that  it  was  from  this 
appendage  Eve  was  fashioned.  Other  Jewish  traditions 
tell  us  that  Eve  was  made  from  "  the  thirteenth  rib  of 
the  right  side  "  (Targ.  Jonath.),  and  that  "  she  was  not 
drawn  out  by  the  head,  lest  she  should  be  vain ;  nor  by 
the  eyes,  lest  she  should  be  wanton;  nor  from  the 
mouth,  lest  she  should  be  given  to  garrulity ;  nor  by  the 
ears,  lest  she  should  be  an  eavesdropper;  nor  by  the 
hands,  lest  she  should  be  intermeddling;  nor  by  the 
feet,  lest  she  be  a  gadder ;  nor  by  the  heart,  for  fear  she 
should  be  jealous ;  but  she  was  taken  out  from  the  side. 
Yet,  in  spite  of  all  these  precautions,  she  had  all  the 
faults  so  carefully  provided  against." 

29.  If  in  time  of  national  calamity  a  man  withdraw 
himself   from  his  kindred  and  refuse  to  share  in   their 


28  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

sorrow,  bis  two  guardian  angels  come  and  lay  their  hands 
upon  his  head  and  say,  "  This  man  has  isolated  himself 
from  his  country  in  the  day  of  its  need,  let  him  not  live  to 
see  and  enjoy  the  day  when  God  shall  restore  its  pros- 
perity." When  the  community  is  in  trouble,  let  no  man 
say,  "  I  will  go  home  and  eat  and  drink,  and  say,  Peace 
be  unto  thee,  oh  my  soul!"  (Luke  xii.  19);  for  to  him 
Scripture  hath  solemnly  said  (Isa.  xxii.  13,  14),  "Surely 
this  iniquity  shall  not  be  purged  from  you  till  you  die." 

Taanith,  fol.  n,  col.  1. 

30.  An  infant  that  has  died  under  a  month  old  is  (to 
be)  carried  to  the  grave  in  the  arms  (not  in  a  coffin),  and 
buried  by  one  woman  and  two  men,  but  not  by  one  man 
and  two  women.  Moed  Katan,  fol.  24,  col.  1. 

Note. — Both  Rashi  and  the  Tosephoth  allude  to  a  case 
which  justifies  the  rule  given  here,  where  a  woman 
actually  carried  a  living  child  in  a  coffin,  in  order  to 
avoid  the  suspicion  of  an  assignation  she  had  made  with 
a  man,  who  set  out  to  join  her.  But  the  Tosephoth, 
after  noticing  this  version  of  Rashi,  gives  another 
more  to  the  point.  The  story  in  the  Tosephoth  is  to  this 
effect : — A  woman  was  once  weeping  and  groaning  over 
the  grave  of  her  husband,  and  not  very  far  away  was 
a  man  who  was  guarding  the  corpse  of  a  person  who  had 
been  crucified.  In  the  moment  of  mourning  an  affection 
sprung  up  between  the  two,  and  in  the  engrossment  of  it 
the  corpse  which  the  man  guarded  was  stolen.  He  was 
in  great  trepidation  for  fear  of  the  king's  command.  The 
woman  said,  "  Don't  be  afraid  ;  exhume  my  husband,  and 
hang  him  up  instead."  This  was  accordingly  done. 
(See  Kiddushin,  fol.  80,  col.  2.) 

31.  There  were  two  date- trees  in  the  Valley  of  Hinnom 
from  between  which  smoke  ascended,  and  this  is  the  gate 
of  hell.  Succah,  fol.  32,  col.  2. 

Note. — According  to  Jewish  tradition,  there  are  three  gates 
to  Gehinnom,  one  in  the  desert,  one  in  the  sea,  and  one 
in  Jerusalem  :  In  the  desert,  as  it  is  written  (Numb. 
xvi.  2>2>)^  "  They  went  down,  and  all  that  belonged  to 


CHAPTER  U.  29 

them,  alive  into  hell."  In  the  sea,  as  it  is  written  (Jonah 
ii.  2),  "  Out  of  the  belly  of  hell  have  I  called,"  &c.  In 
Jerusalem,  as  it  is  written  (Isa.  xxxi.  9),  "  Thus  saith 
the  Lord,  whose  fire  is  in  Zion,  and  His  furnace  in 
Jerusalem."  The  gates  to  Gehinnom  (ojivA  DTins) 
must  not  be  confounded  with  the  *?)$;&  nj?t^  of  the 
Sacred  Scriptures,  or  the  TluXat  adov  of  the  Greek.  "  The 
Gates  of  Hades  "  are  simply  the  gates  of  death. 

32.  When  two  women  are  seen  sitting  on  opposite  sides 
of  a  cross  road  facing  each  other,  it  is  to  be  presumed  that 
they  are  up  to  witchcraft  and  contemplate  mischief. 
What  in  that  case  must  you  do  ?  Go  by  another  road,  if 
there  is  one,  and  if  not,  with  a  companion,  should  such  turn 
up,  passing  the  crones  arm-in-arm  with  him ;  but  should 
there  be  no  other  road  and  no  other  man,  then  walk 
straight  on  repeating  the  counter-charm,  as  you  pass 
them — 

"  Agrath  is  to  Asia  gone, 
And  Blussia's  killed  in  battle." 

P'sachim,  fol.  in,  col.  2. 

Kote. — Agrath  and  Blussia  are  two  Amazons  well  known  to 
those  familiar  with  Kabbinic  demonology. 

33.  "  If  Mordecai,  before  whom  thou  hast  began  to  fall, 
be  of  the  seed  of  the  Jews,  expect  not  to  prevail  against 
him,  but  ^IB/1  ^M  falling,  thou  shalt  fall"  (Esth.  vi.  13). 
Wherefore  these  two  fallings  ?  They  told  Hainan,  saying, 
"  This  nation  is  likened  to  the  dust,  and  is  also  likened  to 
the  stars ;  when  they  are  down,  they  are  down  even  to  the 
dust,  but  when  they  begin  to  rise,  they  rise  to  the  stars." 

Meggillali,  fol.  16,  col.  1. 

34.  If  any  two  disciples  of  the  wise,  dwelling  in  the 
same  city,  have  a  difference  respecting  the  Halachah,  let 
them  remember  what  Scripture  denounces  against  them, 
"  And  also  I  gave  them  statutes  that  are  not  good,  and 
judgments  by  which  they  shall  not  live  "  (Ezek.  xx.  25). 

Ibid.,  fol.  32,  coL  1. 


30  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

35.  If  a  man  espouse  one  of  two  sisters,  and  does  not 
know  which  he  has  espoused,  he  must  give  both  a  bill  of 
divorce.  If  two  men  espouse  two  sisters,  and  neither  of 
them  know  which  he  has  espoused,  then  each  man  must 
give  two  bills  of  divorce,  one  to  each  woman. 

Yevamoth,  fol.  23,  col.  "2. 

36.  There  is  a  time  coming  (i.e.,  in  the  days  of  the 
Messiah),  when  a  grain  of  wheat  will  be  as  large  as  the  two 
kidneys  of  the  great  ox.  Kethuboth,  fol.  in,  col.  1. 

Xote. — According  to  a  recent  discovery,  which  has  been 
confirmed  by  subsequent  observation  and  experiment, 
wheat  is  a  development  by  cultivation  of  the  tiny  grain 
of  the  JEgilops  ovata,  a  sort  of  grass  ;  but  we  are  indebted 
to  Rabbinic  lore  for  the  curious  information  that  before 
the  Fall  of  man  wheat  grew  upon  a  tree  whose  trunk 
looked  like  gold,  its  branches  like  silver,  and  its  leaves 
like  so  many  emeralds.  The  wheat  ears  themselves  were 
as  red  as  rubies,  and  each  bore  five  sparkling  grains  as 
white  as  snow,  as  sweet  as  honey,  and  as  fragrant  as 
musk.  At  first  the  grains  were  as  big  as  an  ostrich's 
egg,  but  in  the  time  of  Enoch  they  diminished  to  the 
size  of  a  goose's  egg,  and  in  Elijah's  to  that  of  a  hen, 
while  at  the  commencement  of  the  common  era,  they 
shrank  so  small  as  not  to  be  larger  than  grapes,  accord- 
ing to  a  law  the  inverse  of  the  order  of  nature.  Rabbi 
Yelmdah  (Sanhedrin,  fol.  70,  coL  1)  says  that  wheat 
was  the  forbidden  fruit  Hence  probably  the  wde- 
generac}7. 

37.  Of  two  that  quarrel,  the  one  that  first  gives  in  shows 
the  nobler  nature.  Ibid.,  fol.  71,  col.  2. 

Xote. — So  also  Prov.  xx.  3,  "  It  is  an  honour  for  a  man  to 
cease  from  strife." 


38.  He  who  sets  aside  a  portion  of  his  wealth  for  the 
relief  of  the  poor  will  be  delivered  from  the  judgment  of 
hell.  Of  this  the  parable  of  the  two  sheep  that  attempted 
to  ford  a  river  is  an  illustration  •  one  was  shorn  of  its  wool 


CHAPTER  II.  31 

and  the  other  not ;  the  former,  therefore,  managed  to  get 
over,  but  the  latter,  being  heavy-laden,  sank. 

Gittln,  fol.  7,  col.  1. 

39.  Zoreah  and  Eshtaol  (Josh.  xv.  33)  were  two  large 
mountains,  but  Samson  tore  them  up  and  grated  the  one 
against  the  other.  SoteJi,  fol.  9,  col.  2. 

Note. — The  above  tradition  is  founded  on  Judges  xiii.  25,  in 
which  it  is  said  of  Samson,  "  And  the  spirit  of  God 
began  to  move  him  at  times  in  the  camp  of  Dan,  between 
Zoreah  and  Eshtaol,"  in  which  the  word  DJJS,  translated 
to  "move,"  signifies  also  to  "strike  a  stroke"  "step  a 
step,"  and  "  once."  Founding  on  which  last  two  mean- 
ings, Rabbi  Yehudah  says,  "  Samson  strode  in  one  trides 
from  Zoreah  to  Eshtaol,"  a  giant  stride  of  two  miles  or 
more.  Taking  DJJD  in  the  sense  of  "  strike,"  or  "  pro- 
ducing a  ringing  sound,"  another  Eabbi  tells  us  that  the 
hairs  of  Samson's  head  stood  upright,  tinkling  one  against 
another  like  bells,  the  jingle  of  which  might  be  heard  from 
Zoreah  to  Eshtaol.  The  version  in  the  text  takes  the 
same  word  in  the  sense  of  to  "  strike  together." 


40.  On  the  day  when  Isaac  was  weaned,  Abraham  made 
a  great  feast,  to  which  he  invited  all  the  people  of  the  land. 
Not  all  of  those  who  came  to  enjoy  the  feast  believed  in 
the  alleged  occasion  of  its  celebration,  for  some  said  con- 
temptuously, "  This  old  couple  have  adopted  a  foundling, 
and  provided  a  feast  to  persuade  us  to  believe  that  the 
child  is  their  own  offspring."  "What  did  Abraham  do  ? 
He  invited  all  the  great  men  of  the  day,  and  Sarah  invited 
their  wives,  who  brought  their  infants,  but  not  their 
nurses,  alonsr  with  them.  On  this  occasion  Sarah's  breasts 
became  like  tivo  fountains,  for  she  supplied,  of  her  own 
body,  nourishment  to  all  the  children.  Still  some  were 
unconvinced,  and  said,  "  Shall  a  child  be  born  to  one  that 
is  a  hundred  years  old,  and  shall  Sarah,  who  is  ninety 
years  old,  bear?"  (Gen.  xvii.  17).  Whereupon,  to  silence 
this  objection,  Isaac's  face  was  changed,  so  that  it  became 


32  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

the  very  picture  of  Abraham's ;  then  one   and   all   ex- 
claimed, "Abraham  begat  Isaac." 

Bara  Metzia,  fol.  87,  col.  1. 

Xote. — The  Midrash  (p.  27)  tells  the  same  story  almost 
verbatim. 

41.  Eava  relates  the  following  in  the  name  of  Rabbi 
Yochanan : — "  Two  Jewish  slaves  were  one  day  walking 
along,  when  their  master,  who  was  following,  overheard 
the  one  saying  to  the  other,  '  There  is  a  camel  ahead  of  us, 
as  I  judge — for  I  have  not  seen — that  is  blind  of  one  eye 
and  laden  with  two  skin-bottles,  one  of  which  contains 
wine  and  the  other  oil,  while  two  drivers  attend  it,  one 
of  them  an  Israelite,  and  the  other  a  Gentile.'  'You 
perverse  men,'  said  their  master,  '  how  can  you  fabricate 
such  a  story  as  that  ? '  The  slave  answered,  and  gave 
this  as  his  reason,  '  The  grass  is  cropped  only  on  one 
side  of  the  track,  the  wine,  that  must  have  dripped,  has 
soaked  into  the  earth  on  the  right,  and  the  oil  has  trickled 
down,  and  may  be  seen  on  the  left;  while  one  of  the 
drivers  turned  aside  from  the  track  to  ease  himself,  but 
the  other  has  not  even  left  the  road  for  the  purpose.' 
Upon  this  the  master  stepped  on  before  them  in  order  to 
verify  the  correctness  of  their  inferences,  and  found  the 
conclusion  true  in  every  particular.  He  then  turned  back, 
and  .  .  .  after  complimenting  the  two  slaves  for  their 
shrewdness,  he  at  once  gave  them  their  liberty." 

Sanhedrin,  fol.  104,  col.  2. 

Kote. — A  story  similar  to  the  above,  with  additional  details, 
is  familiar  to  most  readers.  This  we  have  given  is  one 
of  many  with  which  the  Talmud  abounds,  and  the  col- 
lection of  which  would  fill  a  goodly  volume. 

42.  When  the  disciples  of  Shamai  and  Hillel  increased 
in  Israel,  contention  increased  along  with  them,  so  much 
so,  that  the  one  law  became  as  two  laws  (and  these  contra- 
dictory). JSoteh,  fol.  47,  col.  2. 


CHAPTER  II. 


53 


43.  If  two  parties  deposit  money  with  a  third,  one  a 
single  manah  and  the  other  two  hundred,  and  both  after- 
wards appear  and  claim  the  larger  sum,  the  depositary 
should  give  each  depositor  one  manah  only,  and  leave  the 
rest  undivided  till  the  coming  of  Elijah. 

Bava  Metzia,  fol.  37,  col.  2. 

Xote. — "  Till  Elijah  comes  "  is  a  phrase  which  is  in  use 
among  the  Jews  to  express  postponement  for  ever,  like 
ad  Kalendas  Grcecas.  It  is  applied  to  questions  that 
would  take  Elijah  to  settle,  which,  it  is  believed,  he  will 
not  appear  to  do  till  doomsday. 

44.  "And  I  will  make  thy  windows  of  agates"  (Isa. 
liv.  12).  Two  of  the  angels  in  heaven,  Gabriel  and 
Michael,  once  disputed  about  this  :  one  maintained  that 
the  stone  should  be  an  onyx,  and  the  other  asserted  it 
should  be  a  jasper ;  but  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — 
said  unto  them,  "  Let  it  be  as  both  say,  ]HDT  r*TD,w  which, 
abbreviated,  is  "TD1D  {i.e.,  an  agate). 

Bava  Bathra,  fol.  75,  coL  1. 

45.  "  The  horseleech  has  two  daughters,  crying,  Give  ! 
give  I "  (Prov.  xxx.  1 5).  Mar  Ukva  says,  "  This  has  re- 
ference to  the  voice  of  two  daughters  crying  out  from 
torture  in  hell,  because  their  voice  is  heard  in  this  world 
crying,  '  Give  !  give  ! ' — namely — heresy  and  officialism." 

Avodah  Zarah,  fol.  17,  col.  1. 

Note. — Rashi  says  heresy  here  refers  to  the  "  heresy  of 
James,"  or,  in  other  words,  Christianity. 

46.  Two  cemeteries  were  provided  by  the  judicial  autho- 
rities, one  for  beheaded  and  strangled  criminals,  and  the 
other  for  those  that  were  stoned  or  burned.  When  the 
flesh  of  these  was  consumed,  they  collected  the  bones  and 
buried  them  in  their  own  place,  after  which  the  relations 
came  and  saluted  the  judge  and  the  witnesses,  and  said, 
"  We  owe  you  no  grudge,  for  you  passed  a  just  judgment.' 

Sanhedrin,  fol.  46,  col.  1. 


34  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

47.  Alas  !  for  the  loss  which  the  world  has  sustained  in 
the  degradation  of  the  helpful  serpent.  If  the  serpent 
had  not  been  degraded,  every  Israelite  would  have  been 
attended  by  two  of  kindly  disposition,  one  of  which  might 
have  been  sent  to  the  north,  and  the  other  to  the  south, 
to  bring  for  its  owner  precious  corals  and  costly  stones 
and  pearls.  Sanhedrin,  fol.  59,  col.  2. 

Note. — We  here  append  two  or  three  other  sayings  from  the 
Talmud  relative  to  the  serpent. 

(a.)  Benjamin  the  son  of  Jacob,  Amram  the  father 
of  Moses,  and  Jesse  the  father  of  David  all  died,  not 
because  of  their  own  sin  (for  they  had  none,  says  Rashi), 
but  because  of  the  (original)  sin  committed  under  the 
serpent's  temptation.     (Shabbath,  fol.  55,  col.  2.) 

(b.)  No  man  was  ever  injured  by  a  serpent  or  scorpion 
in  Jerusalem.     (Yoma,  fol.  21,  col.  1.) 

(c.)  "And  dust  is  the  serpent's  food"  (Isa.  lxv.  25). 
Rav  Ammi  says,  "  To  the  serpent  no  delicacy  in  the 
world  has  any  other  flavour  than  that  of  dust ; "  and 
Rav  Assi  says,  "  No  delicacy  in  the  wrorld  satisfies  him 
like  dust."     (Ibid.,  fol.  75,  col.  1.) 

48.  Two  negatives  or  two  affirmatives  are  as  good  as  an 
oath.  Shevuoth,  fol.  36,  col.  1. 

49.  Like  two  pearls  were  the  two  drops  of  holy  oil  that 
were  suspended  from  the  two  corners  of  the  beard  of 
Aaron.  Horayoth,  fol.  12,  coL  1. 

50.  For  two  to  sit  together  and  have  no  discourse  about 
the  law,  is  to  sit  in  the  seat  of  the  scornful ;  as  it  is  said 
(Ps.  i.  1),  "And  sitteth  not  in  the  seat  of  the  scornful." 

Avoth,  chap.  iii. 

51.  When  two  are  seated  together  at  table,  the  younger 
shall  not  partake  before  the  elder,  otherwise  the  younger 
shall  be  justly  accounted  a  glutton. 

Derech  Eretz,  chap.  vii. 

52.  Philemo  once  asked  Rabbi  (the  Holy),  "If  a  man 
has  two  heads,  on  which  is  he  to  put  the  phylactery  ? " 


CHAPTER  II.  35 

To  which  Eabbi  replied,  "  Either  get  up  and  be  off,  or  take 
an  anathema ;  for  thou  art  making  fun  of  me." 

M enachoth,  fol.  37,  col.  1. 

53.  It  is  thus  Eav  Yoseph  taught  what  is  meant  when 
it  is  written  in  Isaiah  xii.  1,  "  I  will  praise  Thee,  0  Lord, 
hecause  Thou  wast  angry  with  me :  Thine  anger  will  de- 
part and  Thou  wilt  comfort  me."  "  The  text  applies,"  he 
says,  "  to  two  men  who  were  going  abroad  on  a  mercantile 
enterprise,  one  of  whom,  having  had  a  thorn  run  into  his 
foot,  had  to  forego  his  intended  journey,  and  began  in 
consequence  to  utter  reproaches  and  blaspheme.  Having 
afterwards  learned  that  the  ship  in  which  his  companion 
had  sailed  had  sunk  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  he  confessed 
his  short-sightedness  and  praised  God  for  His  mercy." 

Niddah,  fol.  31,  col.  1. 


(  36  ) 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  '  THREES  '  OF  THE  TALMUD. 

1.  The  night  is  divided  into  three  watches,  and  at  each 
watch  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! — sits  and  roars  like 
a  lion;  as  it  is  written  (Jer.  xxv.  30),  "  The  Lord  will  roar 
from  on  high,  .  .  .  roaring,  He  will  roar  over  His  habita- 
tion." The  marks  by  which  this  division  of  the  night  is 
recognised  are  these : — In  the  first  watch  the  ass  brays  ; 
in  the  second  the  dog  barks ;  and  in  the  third  the  babe  is 
at  the  breast  and  the  wife  converses  with  her  husband. 

Berachoth,  fol.  3,  col.  1. 

2.  The  Rabbis  have  taught  that  there  are  three  reasons 
why  a  person  should  not  enter  a  ruin  : — 1.  Because  he 
may  be  suspected  of  evil  intent ;  2.  Because  the  walls 
might  tumble  upon  him ;  3.  And  because  of  evil  spirits 
that  frequent  such  places.  Ibid.,  fol.  3,  col.  1. 

3.  He  who  three  times  a-day  repeats  David's  psalm  of 
praise  (Ps.  cxlv.)  may  be  sure  of  an  inheritance  in  the 
world  to  come.  Ibid.,  fol.  4,  col.  2. 

4.  Three  precious  gifts  were  given  to  Israel,  but  none  of 
them  without  a  special  affliction :  these  three  gifts  were 
the  law,  the  land  of  Israel,  and  the  world  to  come. 

Ibid.,  fol.  5,  col.  1. 

Note. — "We  subjoin  a  few  passages  from  the  Talmud  anent 

Israel  and  the  Israelites. 

(a.)  All  Israelites  are  princes.      (Shabbath,  fol.    57, 

col.  T.) 

(b.)  All  Israelites  are  holy.     (Ibid.,  fol.  86,  col.  1.) 
(c.)  Happy  are  ye,  0  Israel !    for  every  one  of  you, 


CHAPTER  III.  37 

from  the  least  to  the  greatest,  is  a  great  philosopher. 
(Eiruvin,  fol.  53,  col.  1.)  The  Machzor  for  Pentecost 
says,  Israelites  are  as  "full  of  meritorious  works  as  a 
pomegranate  is  full  of  pips."  (See  also  Chaggigah, 
fol.  27,  col.  1.) 

(d.)  As  it  is  impossible  for  the  world  to  be  without 
air,  so  also  is  it  impossible  for  the  world  to  be  without 
Israel.     (Taanith,  fol.  3,  col.  2.) 

(e.)  If  the  ox  of  an  Israelite  bruise  the  ox  of  a  Gentile, 
the  Israelite  is  exempt  from  paying  damages  ;  but  should 
the  ox  of  a  Gentile  bruise  the  ox  of  an  Israelite,  the 
Gentile  is  bound  to  recompense  him  in  full.  (Bava 
Kama,  fol.  38,  col.  1.) 

(/.)  When  an  Israelite  and  a  Gentile  have  a  lawsuit 
before  thee,  if  thou  canst,  acquit  the  former  according  to 
the  laws  of  Israel,  and  tell  the  latter  such  is  our  law  ; 
if  thou  canst  get  him  off  in  accordance  with  Gentile  law, 
do  so,  and  say  to  the  plaintiff  such  is  your  law ;  but  if 
he  cannot  be  acquitted  according  to  either  law,  then 
pB^pJD  vby  PX3,  bring  forward  adroit  pretexts  and  secure 
his  acquittal.  These  are  the  words  of  the  Rabbi  Ishmael. 
Rabbi  Akiva  says,  "  No  false  pretext  should  be  brought 
forward,  because,  if  found  out,  the  name  of  God  would 
be  blasphemed ;  but  if  there  be  no  fear  of  that,  then  it 
may  be  adduced."     (Ibid.,  fol.  113,  col.  1.) 

Note. — Contrast   this    counsel  with   that  of  a  heathen 
poet :  — 

' '  If  ever  called 
To  give  thy  witness  in  a  dubious  case, 
Though  Phalaris  himself  should  hid  thee  lie 
On  pain  of  torture  in  his  flaming  bull, 
Disdain  to  barter  innocence  for  life, 
To  which  life  owes  its  lustre  and  its  tvorth." 

Juvenal,  Sat.  8,  1,  80. 

How   true    are   the    words    of    Shakespeare    (Henry 
YIIL,  act  v.,  sc.  1)  : — 

"At  what  ease 
Might  corrupt  minds  procure  knaves  as  corrupt 
To  swear  against  you  ?  " 

(g.)  If  one  find  lost  property  in  a  locality  where  the 
majority  are  Israelites,  he  is  bound  to  proclaim  it ;  but 
he  is  not  bound  to  do  so  if  the  majority  be  Gentiles. 
(Bava  Metzia,  fol.  24,  col.  1.) 


A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

(h.)  (Prov.  xiv.  34),  "  Almsgiving  exalteth  a  nation, 
but  benevolence  is  a  sin  to  nations."  "  Almsgiving, 
npDiy  exalteth  a  nation"  that  is  to  say,  the  nation  of 
Israel ;  as  it  is  written  (2  Sam.  vii.  23),  "And  what  one 
nation  in  the  earth  is  like  thy  people,  even  like  Israel  ? " 
but  "  benevolence  "  is  a  sin  to  nations,  that  is  to  say,  for 
the  Gentiles  to  exercise  charity  and  benevolence  is  sin. 
(Bava  Bathra,  fol.  10,  col.  2.) 

(i.)  If  a  Gentile  smite  an  Israelite,  he  is  guilty  of 
death;  as  it  is  written  (Exod.  ii.  12),  "And  he  looked 
this  way  and  that  way,  and  when  he  saw  there  was  no 
man,  he  slew  the  Egyptian. "     (Sanhedrin,  fol.  58,  col.  2.) 

(/.)  All  Israelites  have  a  portion  in  the  world  to 
come ;  as  it  is  written  (Isa.  lx.  21),  "  And  thy  people  are 
all  righteous  :  they  shall  inherit  the  land."  (Ibid.,  fol. 
90,  col.  1.) 

(7i.)  "  And  they  shall  fall  one  on  account  of  another'' 
(Lev.  xxvi.  37), — one  on  account  of  the  sins  of  another. 
This  teaches  us  that  all  Israel  are  surety  for  one  another. 
(Shevuoth,  fol.  39,  col.  1.) 

(I.)  If  one  find  a  foundling  in  a  locality  where  the 
majority  are  Gentiles,  then  the  child  is  (to  be  reckoned) 
a  Gentile ;  if  the  majority  be  Israelites,  it  is  to  be  con- 
sidered as  an  Israelite ;  and  so  also  it  is  to  be,  providing 
the  numbers  are  equal.     (Machsheerin,  chap.  2,  Mish.  7.) 

(m.)  "  One  generation  passeth  away,  and  another 
generation  cometh,  but  the  earth  abideth  forever  "  (Eccl. 
i.  4).  One  empire  cometh  and  another  passeth  away, 
but  Israel  abideth  forever.     (PereJc  Hashalom.) 

(n. )  The  world  was  created  only  for  Israel :  none  are 
called  the  children  of  God  but  Israel ;  none  are  beloved 
before  God  but  Israel.     (Gerim,  chap.  1.) 

(0.)  The  Jew  that  has  no  wife  abideth  without  joy, 
without  a  blessing,  and  without  any  good.  Without 
joy,  as  it  is  written  (Deut.  xiv.  26),  "And  thou  shalt 
rejoice,  thou  and  thy  household ; "  without  blessing,  as 
it  is  written  (Ezek.  xliv.  30),  "  That  He  may  cause  a  bless- 
ing to  rest  on  thy  household ; "  without  any  good,  for  it 
is  written  (Gen.  ii.  8),  "  It  is  not  good  that  man  should 
be  alone."     (Yevamoth,  fol.  62,  col.  2.) 

(p.)  The  Jew  that  has  no  wife  is  not  a  man  ;  for  it 
is  written  (Gen.  v.  2),  "  Male  and  female  created  He 
them  and  called  their  name  man  "  (d"1K  in  the  singular). 
To  which  Rabbi  Eleazar  adds,  "  So  every  one  who  has 
no  landed  property  is  no  man  ;  for  it  is  written  (Ps.  cxv. 


CHAPTER  III.  39 

1 6),  l  The  heaven,  even  the  heavens,  are  the  Lord's,  but 
the  earth  (the  land,  that  is),  hath  He  given  to  the 
children  of  man.'"     (Yevamoth,  fol.  63,  col.  1.) 

5.  Three  things  did  Moses  ask  of  God: — 1.  He  asked 
that  the  Shechinah  might  rest  upon  Israel;  2.  That 
the  Shechinah  might  rest  upon  none  but  Israel ;  and  3. 
That  God's  ways  might  be  made  known  unto  him ;  and 
all  these  requests  were  granted.     Berachoth,  fol.  7,  col.  1. 

Note. — What  was  the  Shechinah  ?  Was  it  the  presence  of 
a  Divine  person  or  only  of  a  Divine  power  ?  The  follow- 
ing quotations  will  show  what  is  the  teaching  of  the 
Talmud  on  the  matter,  and  will  be  read  with  interest  by 
the  theologian,  whether  Jew  or  Christian. 

(a.)  Where  do  we  learn  that  when  ten  persons  pray 
together  the  Shechinah  is  with  them?  In  Ps.  lxxxii.  i, 
where  it  is  written,  "  God  standeth  in  the  congregation 
of  the  mighty."  And  where  do  we  learn  that  when  two 
sit  together  and  study  the  law  the  Shechinah  is  with 
them?  In  Mai.  iii.  16,  where  it  is  written,  "  Then  they 
that  feared  the  Lord  spake  often  one  to  another,  and  the 
Lord  hearkened  and  heard  it"     (Berachoth,  fol.  6,  col.  1.) 

(b.)  Where  do  we  learn  that  the  Shechinah  doss 
strengthen  the  sick  ?  In  Ps.  xli.  3,  where  it  is  written, 
"  The  Lord  will  strengthen  him  upon  the  bed  of  languish- 
ing."    (Shabbath,  fol.  12,  col.  2.) 

(c.)  He  who  goes  from  the  Synagogue  to  the  lecture- 
room,  and  from  the  lecture-room  back  to  the  Synagogue, 
will  become  worthy  to  receive  the  presence  of  the 
Shechinah;  as  it  is  written  (Ps.  lxxxiv.  1),  "They  go 
from  strength  to  strength ;  every  one  of  them  in  Zion 
appeareth  before  God."     (Moed  Katan,  fol.  29,  col.  1.) 

(d.)  Rabbi  Yossi  says,  "The  Shechinah  never  came 
down  here  below,  nor  did  Moses  and  Elijah  ever  ascend 
on  high,  because  it  is  written  (Ps.  cxv.  16),  '  The  heaven, 
even  the  heavens,  are  the  Lord's,  but  the  earth  hath  he 
given  to  the  children  of  men.'"     (Succah,  fol.  5,  col.  1.) 

(e.)  Esther  "stood  in  the  inner  court  of  the  King's 
house"  (Esth.  v.  1).  Rabbi  Levi  says,  "When  she 
reached  the  house  of  the  images  the  Shechinah  departed 
from  her.  Then  she  exclaimed,  "  My  God  !  my  God  ! 
why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  (Meggillah,  Lfol.  15, 
col.  2.) 


4o  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

(/.)  "  But  ye  that  did  cleave  unto  the  Lord  your  God 
are  alive  every  one  of  you  this  day  "  (Deut.  iv.  4).  Is  it 
possible  to  cleave  to  the  Shechinah  1  Is  it  not  written 
(ibid.,  verse  24),  "  For  the  Lord  thy  God  is  a  consuming 
fire  "  ?  The  reply  is  :— He  that  bestows  his  daughter  in 
marriage  on  a  disciple  of  the  wise  (that  is,  a  Rabbi),  or 
does  business  on  behalf  of  the  disciples  of  the  wise,  or 
maintains  them  from  his  property,  Scripture  accounts  it 
as  if  he  did  cleave  to  the  Shechinah.  (Kethuboth,  fol. 
in,  col.  25.) 

(g.)  He  who  is  angry  has  no  regard  even  for  the 
Shechinah ;  as  it  is  written  (Ps.  x.  4),  "  The  wicked,  when 
his  anger  rises,  does  not  inquire  after  God ;  God  is  not 
in  all  his  thoughts."     (Nedarim,  fol.  22,  col.  2.) 

(h.)  He  who  visits  the  sick  should  not  sit  upon  the 
bed,  nor  even  upon  a  stool  or  a  chair  beside  it,  but  he 
should  wrap  his  mantle  round  him  and  sit  upon  the 
floor,  because  of  the  Shechinah  which  rests  at  the  head 
of  the  bed  of  the  invalid  ;  as  it  is  written  (Ps.  xli.  3), 
"  The  Lord  will  strengthen  him  upon  the  bed  of  lan- 
guishing."    (Ibid.,  fol.  40,  col.  1.) 

(i.)  When  Israel  went  up  out  of  the  Red  Sea,  both 
the  babe  on  its  mother's  lap  and  the  suckling  at  the 
breast  saw  the  Shechinah,  and  said,  "  This  is  my  God, 
and  I  will  prepare  Him  a  habitation ; "  as  it  is  written 
(Ps.  viii.  2),  "  Out  of  the  mouths  of  babes  and  sucklings 
thou  hast  ordained  strength."     (Soteh,  fol.  30,  col.  2.) 

(j.)  Where  do  we  read  that  the  Shechinah  is  present 
everywhere  1  In  Zech.  ii.  3,  where  it  is  written,  "  And 
behold  the  angel  that  talked  with  me  went  forth,  and 
another  angel  went  out  to  meet  him."  It  is  not  said 
went  out  after  him,  but  "  went  out  to  meet  him"  From 
this  we  know  that  the  Shechinah  is  present  everywhere. 
(Bava  Bathra,  fol.  25,  col.  1.) 

(k.)  Many  more  such-like  passages  might  be  adduced, 
but  we  will  conclude  this  catena  with  a  phrase  which 
will  recall  pleasing  memories  to  most  of  our  readers, 
words  "  as  familial'  as  household  words"  in  Jewry — 

!  tbiyb'n  y\i  rbyn  t»b  Kinn  >-y  rriwaBn  n"ip  nw  n&b 

In  the  name  of  the  union  of  the  Holy  and  Blessed  One  and  His 
Shechinah,  the  Hidden  and  the  Concealed  One  !  Blessed  be  the  Lord 
forever  ! 

6.  Rabbi  Akiva  says,  "  For  three  things  I  admire  the 
Medes:— 1.  When  they  carve  meat,  they  do  it  on  the 


CHAPTER  III.  41 

table  ;  2.  When  they  kiss,  they  only  do  so  upon  the  hand  ; 
3.  And  when  they  consult,  they  do  so  only  in  the  field." 

Berachoth,  fol.  8,  col.  2. 

7.  The  stone  which  Og,  king  of  Bashan,  meant  to  throw 
upon  Israel  is  the  subject  of  a  tradition  delivered  on 
Sinai.  "  The  camp  of  Israel  I  see,"  he  said,  "  extends  three 
miles ;  I  shall  therefore  go  and  root  up  a  mountain  three 
miles  in  extent  and  throw  it  upon  them."  So  off  he  went, 
and  finding  such  a  mountain,  raised  it  on  his  head,  but 
the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — sent  an  army  of  ants 
against  him,  which  so  bored  the  mountain  over  his  head 
that  it  slipped  down  upon  his  shoulders,  from  which  he 
could  not  lift  it,  because  his  teeth,  protruding,  had  riveted 
it  upon  him.  This  explains  that  which  is  written  (Ps. 
iii.  7),  "  Thou  hast  broken  the  teeth  of  the  ungodly ; " 
where  read  not  JTHttf,  "  Thou  hast  broken"  but  read  thus  : 
J"DIHttf,  "  Thoic  hast  ramified"  that  is,  " Thou  hast  caused 
to  branch  out."  Moses  being  ten  ells  in  height,  seized  an 
axe  ten  ells  long,  and  springing  up  ten  ells,  struck  a  blow 
on  Og's  ankle  and  killed  him.  Hid.,  fol.  54,  col.  2. 

Note. — This  same  story  is  given  with  more  than  Talmudic 
exaggeration  in  the  Targuni  of  Jonathan  ben  Uzziel, 
while  the  author  of  the  Book  of  Jasher  (chap,  lxv.,  verses 
23,  24)  makes  the  camp  and  the  mountain  forty  miles 
in  extent.  The  giant  here  figures  in  antediluvian  tra- 
dition. He  is  said  to  have  been  saved  at  the  Flood  by 
laying  hold  of  the  ark,  and  being  fed  day  by  day  through 
a  hole  in  the  side  of  the  ark  by  Noah  himself.  A  tra- 
dition which  says  the  soles  of  his  feet  were  forty  miles 
long  at  once  explains  all  the  extraordinary  feats  ascribed 
to  him. 

8.  Bav  Yehudah  used  to  say,  "  Three  things  shorten  a 
man's  days  and  years  : —  1 .  Neglecting  to  read  the  law 
when  it  is  given  to  him  for  that  purpose;  seeing  it  is 
written  (Deut.  xxx.  20),  '  For  He  (who  gave  it)  is  thy  life 
and  the  length  of  thy  days.'  2.  Omitting  to  repeat  the 
customary  benediction  over  a  cup  of  blessing;  for  it  is 


42  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

written  (Gen.  xii.  3),  'And  I  will  bless  them  that  bless 
thee.'  3.  And  the  assumption  of  a  Rabbinical  air;  for 
Rabbi  Chama  bar  Chanena  says,  '  Joseph  died  before  any 
of  his  brethren,  because  he  domineered  over  them.' " 

Berachoth,  fol.  55,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  first  of  these  refers  to  the  reading  of  the  law  in 
public  worship,  the  second  to  a  practice  after  meals  when 
more  than  two  adult  Jews  were  present,  and  the  third  to 
the  dictatorial  air  often  assumed  by  the  Rabbis. 

9.  Three  things  proceed  by  pre-eminence  from  God 
Himself : — Famine,  plenty,  and  a  wise  ruler.  Famine 
(2  Kings  viii.  2) :  "  The  Lord  hath  called  for  a  famine ; " 
plenty  (Ezek.  xxxvi.  29) :  "  I  will  call  for  corn  and 
increase  it ; "  a  wise  ruler ;  for  it  is  written  (Exod.  xxxi. 
2),  "  I  have  called  by  name  Bezaleel."  Rabbi  Yitzchak 
says,  "A  ruler  is  not  to  be  appointed  unless  the  com- 
munity be  first  consulted.  God  first  consulted  Moses, 
then  Moses  consulted  the  nation  concerning  the  appoint- 
ment of  Bezaleel."  Ibid.,  fol.  55,  col.  1. 

10.  Three  dreams  come  to  pass  : — That  which  is  dreamed 
in  the  morning;  that  which  is  also  dreamed  by  one's 
neighbour ;  and  a  dream  which  is  interpreted  within  a 
dream ;  to  which  some  add,  one  that  is  dreamed  by  the 
same  person  twice;  as  it  is  written  (Gen.  xli.  32),  "And 
for  that  the  dream  was  doubled  unto  Pharaoh  twice." 

Ibid.,  fol.  55,  col.  2. 

1 1.  Three  things  tranquillise  the  mind  of  man  : — Melody, 
scenery,  and  sweet  odour.  Three  things  develop  the  mind 
of  man: — A  fine  house,  a  handsome  wTife,  and  elegant 
furniture.  Ibid.,  fol.  57,  col.  2. 

12.  The  Rabbis  have  taught  that  there  are  three  sorts  of 
dropsy  : — Thick,  resulting  from  sin  ;  bloated,  in  consequence 
of  insufficient  food ;  and  thin,  due  to  sorcery. 

Shabbath,  fol.  33,  col.  1. 


CHAPTER  III.  43 

13.  Three  things  bring  a  man  to  poverty: — 1.  JVIttfBrT 
D*ny  1DZ0D  'OEQ  D^D ;  2.  Neglecting  the  (ceremonial) 
washing  of  the  hands ;  3.  Being  cursed  to  the  face  by  one's 
wife.  Shabbath,  fol.  62,  col.  2. 

14.  These  three  grow  stronger  as  they  grow  older  : — The 
fish,  the  serpent,  and  the  pig.  Ibid.,  fol.  77,  col.  2. 

15.  It  were  better  to  cut  the  hands  off  than  to  touch  the 
eye,  or  the  nose,  or  the  mouth,  or  the  ear,  &c,  with  them 
without  having  first  washed  them.  Unwashed  hands 
may  cause  blindness,  deafness,  foulness  of  breath,  or  a 
polypus.  It  is  taught  that  Eabbi  Nathan  has  said,  "  The 
evil  spirit  Bath  Chorin  (]Hin  J"Q),  which  rests  upon  the 
hands  at  night,  is  very  strict ;  he  will  not  depart  till 
water  is  poured  upon  the  hands  three  times  over." 

Ibid.,  fol.  109,  col.  1. 

Note. — (a.)  The  great  importance  of  this  ceremonial  washing 
of  the  hands  will  appear  from  the  following  anecdote, 
which  we  quote  verbatim  from  another  part  of  the  Tal- 
mud : — "  It  happened  once,  as  the  Rabbis  teach,  that 
Rabbi  Akiva  was  immured  in  a  prison,  and  Yehoshua 
Hagarsi  was  his  attendant.  One  day  the  gaoler  said  to 
the  latter  as  he  entered,  '  What  a  lot  of  water  thou  hast 
brought  to-day  !  Dost  thou  need  it  to  sap  the  walls  of 
the  prison  ? '  So  saying,  he  seized  the  vessel  and  poured 
out  half  of  the  water.  When  Yehoshua  brought  in 
what  was  left  of  the  water  to  Rabbi  Akiva,  the  latter, 
who  was  weary  of  waiting,  for  he  was  faint  and  thirsty, 
reproachfully  said  to  him,  '  Yehoshua,  dost  thou  forget 
that  I  am  old,  and  my  very  life  depends  upon  thee  ? ' 
When  the  servant  related  what  had  happened,  the  Rabbi 
asked  for  the  water  to  wash  his  hands,  '  Why,  master,' 
said  Yehoshua,  '  there's  not  enough  for  thee  to  drink, 
much  less  to  cleanse  thy  hands  with.'  To  which  the 
Rabbi  replied,  '  What  am  I  to  do  ?  They  who  neglect 
to  wash  their  hands  are  judged  worthy  of  death ;  'tis 
better  that  I  should  die  by  my  own  act  from  thirst  than 
act  against  the  rules  of  my  associates.'  And  accordingly 
it  is  related  that  he  abstained  from  tasting  anything  till 
they  brought  him  water  to  wash  his  hands."     (Eiruvin, 


44  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

fol.    21,  col.   2.     See  also   Maimonides,  Hilc.   Berach., 
vi.  19.) 

(b.)  From  the  context  of  the  passage  just  quoted  we 
cull  the  following,  which  proves  that  the  Talmud  itself 
bases  the  precept  concerning  the  washing  of  hands 
on  oral  tradition  and  not  on  the  written  law  : — "  Rav 
Yehudah  ascribes  this  saying  to  Shemuel,  that  when 
Solomon  gave  to  the  traditional  rules  that  regulated  the 
washing  of  hands  and  other  ceremonial  rites  the  form 
and  sanction  of  law,  a  Bath  Kol  came  forth  and  said 
(Prov.  xxiii.  15),  'My  son,  if  thy  heart  be  wise,  my 
heart  shall  rejoice,  even  mine ; '  and  again  it  said  (Prov. 
xxvii.  11),  '  My  son,  be  wise,  and  make  my  heart  glad, 
that  I  may  answer  him  that  reproacheth  me.'"  (See 
Prov.  xxx.  5,  6.) 

(c.)  There  is  a  great  deal  in  the  Talmud  about  (r6*E3 
DST),  icashing  the  hands,  in  addition  to  what  is  said  in 
the  treatise  Yadaim,  which  is  entirely  devoted  to  the 
subject.  But  this  topic  is  subordinate  to  another, 
namely,  the  alleged  inferiority  of  the  precepts  of  the 
Bible  to  the  prescriptions  of  the  Rabbis,  of  which  the 
punctilious  rules  regulative  of  hand-washing  form  only 
a  small  fraction.  This  is  illustrated  by  an  anecdote  from 
the  Talmudic  leaflet  entitled  Callah,  n^D,  respecting 
Rabbi  Akiva,  whose  fame  extends  1D1D  "TJ?1  ub)VT\  P)1DD, 
from  one  end  of  the  world  to  the  other.  (See  Yevamoth, 
fol.  16,  col.  2.) 

Once  upon  a  time,  as  the  Elders  were  sitting  together, 
two  lads  passed  by  them,  one  with  his  head  covered  and 
the  other  bareheaded.  Of  the  latter  boy  as  he  passed 
Rabbi  Elazar  said,  "  He  is  a  1TDD,"  and  Rabbi  Yehoshua, 
"  He  is  a  m^D  p,"  but  Rabbi  Akiva  contended,  "  He  is 
both  a  Mamzer  and  a  Ben  Haniddah."  Upon  which  the 
Elders  said  to  Rabbi  Akiva,  "  How  darest  thou  be  so 
bold  as  dispute  the  assertion  of  thy  masters  1 "  "  Be- 
cause I  can  substantiate  what  I  say,"  was  his  answer. 
He  then  went  to  the  mother  of  the  lad,  and  found  her 
selling  pease  in  the  market-place.  "  Daughter,"  said  he 
to  her,  "  if  thou  wilt  answer  all  that  I  ask  of  thee,  I  will 
ensure  thee  a  portion  in  the  life  to  come."  She  replied, 
"  Let  me  have  thy  oath  and  I  will  do  so."  Then  taking 
the  oath  with  his  lips  but  null '/ ifying  it  in  his  heart,  he 
asked  her,  "What  sort  of  a  son  is  thy  lad?"  She 
replied,  "  When  I  entered  my  bridal  chamber  I  was 
a  Niddah,   and  consequently  my  husband   kept   away 


CHAPTER  III  45 

from  me,"  riT  p  h  n*m  ^3t5nt5>  ^y  SUV  Tims  it  was 
found  out  that  the  boy  was  a  Mamzer  and  a  Ben 
Haniddah ;  upon  which  the  sages  exclaimed,  "  Great 
is  Rabbi  Akiva,  for  he  has  overcome  his  masters ; " 
and  as  they  congratulated  him  they  said,  "  Blessed  be 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  who  hath  revealed  His  secret 
unto  Akiva  the  son  of  Joseph."  Thus  did  the  Rabbi 
forswear  himself,  and  thus  did  his  companions  compli- 
ment him  on  the  success  of  his  perjury ;  yet  the  Bible  says, 
"  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in 
vain"  (Exod.  xx.  7),  and  "  Keep  thou  far  from  a  false- 
hood" (Exod.  xxiii.  7). 

(d.)  Here  is  a  companion  picture  from  Yoma,  fol.  8^, 
col.  1  : — "  Rabbi  Yochanan  was  suffering  from  scurvy, 
and  he  applied  to  a  Gentile  woman,  who  prepared  a 
remedy  for  the  fifth  and  then  the  sixth  day  of  the  week. 
'  But  what  shall  I  do  to-morrow  ? '  said  he ;  '  I  must 
not  walk  so  far  on  the  Sabbath.'  'Thou  wilt  not 
require  any  more,'  she  answered.  '  But  suppose  I  do/ 
he  replied.  '  Take  an  oath,'  she  answered,  '  that  thou 
wilt  not  reveal  it,  and  I  will  tell  thee  how  to  compound 
the  remedy.'  This  he  did  in  the  following  words  :  '  By 
the  God  of  Israel  (^xx>T!  Ni"6a^,  which  also  means  "  To 
the  God  of  Israel"),  I  swear  I  will  not  divulge  it.' 
Nevertheless,  when  he  learned  the  secret,  he  went  and 
revealed  it.  'But  was  not  that  profaning  the  name 
of  God?' asks  one.  'No,'  pleads  another  Rabbi,  'for, 
as  he  told  her  afterwards,  that  what  he  meant  was  that 
he  would  not  tell  it  to  the  God  of  Israel.'  The  remedy 
was  yeast,  water,  oil,  and  salt." 

(e.)  The  anecdote  that  follows  we  take  from  Sanhedrin, 
fol.  97,  col.  1  : — "  In  reference  to  the  remark  of  Ravina, 
who  said,  '  I  used  to  think  that  there  was  no  truth  in 
the  world,'  one  of  the  Rabbis,  Toviah  (or  Tavyoomah,  as 
some  say),  would  protest  and  say,  '  If  all  the  riches  of 
the  world  were  offered  me,  I  would  not  tell  a  falsehood.' 
And  he  used  to  clench  his  protestation  with  the  follow- 
ing apologue  :  '  I  once  went  to  a  place  called  Kushta 
(NE^Ip),  where  the  people  never  swerve  from  the  truth, 
and  where  (as  a  reward  for  their  integrity)  they  do  not 
die  until  old  age ;  and  there  I  married  and  settled  down, 
and  had  two  sons  born  unto  me.  One  day  as  my  wife 
was  sitting  and  combing  her  hair,  a  woman  who  dwelt 
close  by  came  to  the  door  and  asked  to  see  her.  Think- 
ing that  it  was  a  breach  of  etiquette  (that  any  one  should 


46  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

see  her  at  her  toilet),  I  said  she  was  not  in.  Soon  after 
this  my  two  children  died,  and  the  people  came  to 
inquire  into  the  cause  of  their  premature  decease.  When 
I  told  them  of  my  evasive  reply  to  the  woman,  they 
asked  me  to  leave  the  town,  lest  by  my  misconduct  I 
might  involve  the  whole  community  in  a  like  calamity, 
and  death  might  be  enticed  to  their  place." 

1 6.  Food  remains  for  three  days  in  the  stomach  of  the 
dog,  because  God  knew  that  his  food  would  be  scanty. 

Shabbath,  fol.  155,  col.  1. 

17.  He  who  is  born  on  the  third  day  of  the  week  will 
be  rich  and  amorous.  Ibid.,  fol.  156,  col.  1. 

18.  Rabbi  Abba,  in  the  name  of  Shemuel,  says,  "The 
schools  of  Shammai  and  Hillel  were  at  variance  three 
years,  the  one  party  contending  and  saying,  '  The  Halacha 
is  according  to  us ; '  and  the  other,  '  The  Halacha  is  accord- 
ing to  us.'  Then  came  a  Bath  Kol  *  from  the  Lord  and 
said,  D"n  Wnbtt  nm  "6*0  "\b$,  '  Both  these  and  those  are 
the  words  of  the  living  God,  but  yet  the  Halacha  is  accord- 
ing to  the  school  of  Hillel.'  What  was  the  merit  of  the 
school  of  Hillel  that  the  Halacha  should  be  pronounced  to 
be  according  to  it  ?  Its  disciples  were  gentle  and  for- 
bearing, for  whilst  they  stood  by  their  own  decisions,  they 
also  stated  those  maintained  by  the  school  of  Shammai, 
and  often  even  mentioned  the  tenets  of  the  school  of 
Shammai  first  and  their  own  afterwards.  This  teaches 
us  that  him  who  humbles  himself,  God  will  exalt ;  and 
him  who  exalts  himself,  God  will  abase.  Whoso  pursueth 
greatness,  greatness  will  flee  from  him ;  and  whoso  fleeth 
from  greatness,  greatness  will  pursue  him." 

Eiruvin,  fol.  13,  col.  2. 

19.  There  are  three  entrances  to  hell: — One  in  the 
desert,  one  in  the  sea,  and  one  in  Jerusalem. 

Ibid.,  fol.  19,  col.  1. 
Note. — For  more  detailed  matter  on  this  topic  see  Chap.  II. 
sect.  31,  supra. 

*  Defined  at  p.  2. 


CHAPTER  III.  47 

20.  These  three  will  never  see  hell : — He  who  is  puri- 
fied by  poverty ;  he  who  is  purged  by  a  painful  flux ;  and 
he  who  is  harassed  by  importunate  creditors ;  and  some 
say,  he  also  who  is  plagued  with  a  termagant  wife. 

Eiruvin,  fol.  41,  col.  2. 

Note. — In  the  original,  iwim  :  ?.e.,  "and  government." 
Kashi  renders  it  "  Creditors ; "  Tosephoth  renders  it, 
"  The  yoke  of  the  government  of  Babylon." 

21.  Three  effects  are  ascribed  to  Babylonian  broth  (which 
was  made  of  mouldy  bread,  sour  milk,  and  salt) : — It 
retards  the  action  of  the  heart,  it  affects  the  eyesight,  and 
emaciates  the  body.  P'sachim,  fol.  42,  col.  1. 

22.  These  three  are  not  permitted  to  come  between  two 
men,  nor  is  a  man  allowed  to  pass  between  any  two  of 
these  three  : — A  dog,  a  palm-tree,  or  a  woman  ;  to  which 
some  add  the  pig,  and  others  the  serpent  as  well. 

Ibid.,  fol.  in,  col.  1. 

Note. — One  part  of  this  regulation  is  rather  hard  and  should 
surely  be  abolished ;  that,  viz.,  which  ordains  a  woman 
shall  not  come  between  two  men  or  a  man  pass  between 
two  women.  The  compiler  of  this  Miscellany  was  once 
witness  to  a  case  which  illustrates  its  inconvenience  :  it 
occurred  at  Tiberias.  A  pious  young  Jew  who  had  to 
traverse  a  narrow  road  to  pass  from  the  lake  to  the  town 
was  kept  standing  for  a  very  considerable  time  under  a 
broiling  sun,  simply  because  two  young  women,  to  tease 
him,  guarded  the  entrance,  and  dared  him  to  pass  between 
them.  Of  course  he  dared  not  accept  the  challenge, 
otherwise  he  would  have  incurred  the  penalty  of  death, 
according  to  the  judgment  of  the  Talmud ;  for  "  Whoso- 
ever transgresses  any  of  the  words  of  the  Scribes  is  guilty 
of  death."     {Eiruvin,  fol.  21,  col.  2.) 

23.  These  three  will  inherit  the  world  to  come  : — 
He  who  dwells  in  the  land  of  Israel ;  he  who  brings  up 
his  sons  to  the  study  of  the  law  ;  and  he  who  repeats  the 
ritual  blessing  over  the  appointed  cup  of  wine  at  the 
close  of  the  Sabbath.  Fsachim,  fol.  113,  col.  1. 


48  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

24.  There  are  three  whom  the  Holy  One — blessed  be 
He ! — Himself  proclaims  virtuous  : — The  unmarried  man 
who  lives  in  a  city  and  does  not  sin ;  the  poor  man  who 
restores  a  lost  thing  which  he  has  found  to  its  owner; 
and  the  rich  man  who  pays  the  tithes  of  his  increase 
unostentatiously.  Eav  Saphra  was  a  bachelor,  and  he 
dwelt  in  a  large  city.  A  disciple  of  the  wise  once 
descanted  upon  the  merits  of  a  celibate  life  in  the  pre- 
sence of  Eava  and  this  Eav  Saphra,  and  the  face  of  the 
latter  beamed  with  delight.  Eemarking  which,  Eava  said 
to  him,  "  This  does  not  refer  to  such  a  bachelor  as  thou  art, 
but  to  such  as  Eabbi  Chanena  and  Eabbi  Oshaia."  They 
were  single  men,  who  followed  the  trade  of  shoemakers, 
and  dwelt  in  a  street  mostly  occupied  by  mjlT  meretrices, 
for  whom  they  made  shoes ;  but  when  they  fitted  these  on, 
they  never  raised  their  eyes  to  look  at  their  faces.  For 
this  the  women  conceived  such  a  respect  for  them,  that, 
when  they  swore,  they  swore  by  the  life  of  the  holy  Eabbis 
of  the  land  of  Israel.  F'sachim,  fol.  113,  cols.  1,  2. 


25.  There  are  three  whom  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! 
— abhorreth  :  He  who  says  one  thing  but  thinks  another ; 
he  who  might  bear  witness  in  favour  of  his  neighbour  but 
refrains  from  doing  so  ;  and  he  who,  having  seen  his  neigh- 
bour act  disgracefully,  goes  and  appears  singly  as  a  witness 
against  him  (thus  only  condemning,  but  not  convicting, 
him,  as  the  law  requires  two  witnesses).  As,  for  example, 
when  Toviah  transgressed  and  Zigud  appeared  against 
him  singly  before  Eav  Pappa,  and  Eav  Pappa  ordered 
this  witness  to  receive  forty  stripes  save  one  in  return. 
"  What ! "  said  he,  "  Toviah  has  sinned,  and  should  Zigud  be 
flogged?"  "Yes,"  replied  the  Eabbi,  "for  by  testifying 
singly  against  him  thou  bringest  him  only  into  bad  repute." 
(See  Deut.  xix.  15.)  Psachim,  fol.  113,  col.  2. 

Note. — "  Toviah  has  sinned  and  Zigud  is  flogged"  has  long 
been  a  proverb  among  Jews. 


CHAPTER  III.  49 

26.  There  are  three  whose  life  is  no  life : — The  sym- 
pathetic, the  irascible,  and  the  melancholy. 

P'sachim,  fol.  113,  col.  2. 

27.  There  are  three  which  despise  their  fellows : — Dogs, 
cocks,  and  sorcerers.  Some  say  strange  women  also,  and 
some  the  disciples  of  the  Babylonian  Eabbis.  Ibid. 

Note. — Cato  used  to  say  that  he  was  surprised  one  sooth- 
sayer could  keep  his  countenance  when  he  saw  another 
manipulating,  knowing,  as  he  did,  the  imposture  he  was 
practising. 

28.  These  three  love  their  fellows  : — Proselytes,  slaves, 
and  ravens.  Ibid. 

29.  These  three  are  apt  to  strut : — Israel  among  the 
nations,  the  dog  among  animals,  the  cock  among  birds. 
Some  say  also  the  goat  among  small  cattle,  and  some  the 
caper  shrub  among  trees.  Ibid.,  fol.  25,  col.  2. 

30.  There  are  three  whose  life  is  no  life : — He  who  lives 
at  another's  table ;  he  whose  wife  domineers  over  him ; 
and  he  who  suffers  bodily  affliction.  Some  say  also  he 
who  has  only  a  single  shirt  in  his  wardrobe. 

Ibid.,  fol.  32,  col.  2. 

Note. — Xws/'s  byniccg  d(3io;  fiioc,  |8/os  afiiuro;,  "Without  health 
life  is  not  life,  life  is  lifeless."     (Ariphon.) 

31.  Three  things  are  said  respecting  the  finger-nails  : — 
He  who  trims  his  nails  and  buries  the  parings  is  a  pious 
man ;  he  who  burns  these  is  a  righteous  man ;  but  he  who 
throws  them  away  is  a  wicked  man,  for  mischance  might 
follow,  should  a  female  (m^iy)  step  over  them. 

Moed  Katan,  fol.  18,  coL   1. 

Note. — The  orthodox  Jews  in  Poland  are  to  this  day  careful 
to  bury  away  or  burn  their  nail-parings. 

32.  Three  classes  appear  on  the  day  of  judgment : — The 
perfectly  righteous,  who  are  at  once  written  and  sealed  for 


50  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

eternal  life  ;  the  thoroughly  bad,  who  are  at  once  written 
and  sealed  for  hell ;  as  it  is  written  (Dan.  xii.  2),  "  And 
many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the  dust  of  the  earth  shall 
awake,  some  to  everlasting  life,  and  some  to  shame  and 
everlasting  contempt;"  and  those  in  the  intermediate 
state,  who  go  down  into  hell,  where  they  cry  and  howl 
for  a  time,  whence  they  ascend  again ;  as  it  is  written 
(Zech.  xiii.  9),  "  And  I  will  bring  the  third  part  through 
the  fire,  and  will  refine  them  as  silver  is  refined,  and  will 
try  them  as  gold  is  tried  ;  they  shall  call  on  my  name,  and 
I  will  hear  them."  It  is  of  them  Hannah  said  (1  Sam.  ii. 
6),  "  The  Lord  killeth  and  maketh  alive ;  He  bringeth 
down  to  hell  and  bringeth  up." 

Rosh  Hashanah,  fol.  16,  col.  2. 

33.  Our  Eabbis  have  taught  that  there  are  three  voices 
which  can  be  heard  from  one  end  of  the  world  to  the 
other : — The  sound  emitted  from  the  sphere  of  the  sun ; 
the  hum  and  din  of  the  city  of  Eome ;  and  the  voice  of 
anguish  uttered  by  the  soul  as  it  quits  the  body ;  .  .  . 
but  our  Eabbis  prayed  that  the  soul  might  be  spared  this 
torture,  and  therefore  the  voice  of  its  terrors  has  not  since 
been  heard.  Yoma,  fol.  20,  coL  2. 

34.  In  three  particulars  is  benevolence  superior  to  alms- 
giving:— Almsgiving  is  only  the  bestowment  of  money, 
but  benevolence  can  be  exercised  by  personal  service  as 
well.  Alms  can  be  given  only  to  the  poor,  but  benevo- 
lence can  be  shown  no  less  to  the  rich.  Alms  are  confined 
to  the  living,  but  benevolence  may  extend  to  both  the 
dead  and  the  living.  Succah,  fol.  49,  coL  2. 

35.  Three  marks  characterise  the  nation  of  Israel: — 
They  are  compassionate,  they  are  modest,  and  they  are 
benevolent.  Compassionate,  as  it  is  written  (Deut.  xiii. 
18),  "And  show  thee  mercy,  and  have  compassion  upon 
thee,  and  multiply  thee."  Modest,  as  it  is  written  (Exod. 
xx.  20),  "  That  his  fear  may  be  before  your  faces."     Bene- 


CHAPTER  Hi:  5r 

volent,  as  it  is  written  (Gen.  xviii.  19),  "For  I  know  him," 
&c.  Yevamoth,  fol.  79,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  Rabbis  are  not  always  happy  in  applying  Scrip- 
ture, but  No.  35  is  the  right  rendering.  Jewish  writers 
often  quote  it  as  it  stands  here. 

36.  Dates  are  good  after  meals  in  the  morning  and  in 
the  evening,  but  hurtful  in  the  afternoon ;  on  the  other 
hand,  at  noon  they  are  most  excellent,  and  an  antidote  to 
these  three  maladies  : — Evil  thought,  constipation,  and 
hemorrhoids.  Kethuboth,  fol.  10,  col.  2. 

37.  Beware  of  these  three  things  : — Do  not  sit  too  much, 
for  it  brings  on  hemorrhoids  ;  do  not  stand  too  much,  for 
it  is  bad  for  the  heart ;  do  not  walk  too  much,  for  it  is 
hurtful  to  the  eyes.  But  sit  a  third,  stand  a  third,  and 
walk  a  third.  Ibid.,  foL  in,  coL  1. 

38.  He  who  holds  his  household  in  terror  tempts  to 
the  commission  of  three  sins:  —  Fornication,  murder,  and 
Sabbath-breaking.  Gittin,  fol.  6,  col.  2. 

39.  Three  things  weaken  the  strength  of  man : — Fear, 
travel,  and  sin.  Fear,  as  it  is  written  (Ps.  xxxviii.  10), 
"  My  heart  palpitates,  my  strength  faileth  me."  Travel, 
as  it  is  written  (Ps.  cii.  23),  "  He  hath  weakened  my 
strength  in  the  way."  .  .  .  Sin,  as  it  is  written  (Ps.  xxxi. 
10),  "  My  strength  faileth  me,  because  of  my  iniquity." 

Ibid.,  fol.  70,  col.  2. 

40.  Abraham  was  three  years  old  when  he  first  learned 
to  know  his  Creator;  as  it  is  said  (Gen.  xxvi.  5),  "Because 
(2py)  Abraham  obeyed  my  voice." 

Nedarim,  fol.  32,  col.  1. 

Note  i. — The  conclusion  arrived  at  here  is  founded  on  inter- 
preting the  Hebrew  letters  of  the  word  rendered  "be- 
cause "  numerically,  in  which  y  =  70  p  =  100  and  3  =  2, 
making  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-two  ;  so  that 
the  sense  of  the  text  is,  "  Abraham  obeyed  my  voice  " 
one  hundred  and  seventy-two  years.     Now  Abraham  died 


52  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

when  he  was  a  hundred  and  seventy-five,  therefore  he  must 
have  been  only  three  when  he  began  to  serve  the  Lord. 

As  Abraham  plays  so  important  a  part  both  in  the 
history  and  the  imagination  of  the  Jewish  race,  we  may 
be  allowed  to  quote  here  a  score  or  so  of  the  Talmudic 
traditions  regarding  him.  The  traditions,  as  is  like, 
contributed  quite  as  much,  if  not  more,  to  give  character 
to  his  descendants  as  his  actual  personality  and  that 
spirit  of  faith  which  was  the  central  fact  in  his  history. 
Races  and  nations  often  draw  more  inspiration  from 
what  they  fancy  about  their  ancestry  and  early  history 
than  from  what  they  know  ;  their  fables  therefore  are 
often  more  illuminative  than  the  facts. 

(a.)  Abraham  was  Ethan  the  Ezrahite,  who  is  men- 
tioned Ps.  lxxxvii.  i.     (Bava  Bathra,  foL  15,  col.  1.) 

(b.)  Abraham's  mother  was  Amathlai,  the  daughter  of 
Karnebo.     (Ibid.,  fol.  91,  col.  1.) 

(c.)  Abraham  was  the  head  of  a  seminary  for  youth, 
and  kept  both  laws,  the  written  and  the  oral.  (Yoma, 
foL  28,  col.  2.) 

(d.)  Abraham  observed  the  whole  ceremonial  law,  even 
before  it  was  given  on  Sinai.    (Kiddushin,  fol.  82,  col.  1.) 

Note. — From  the  day  Abraham  was  compelled  to  leave 
the  idolatrous  worship  and  country  of  his  fathers, 
it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  his  tent  would  be- 
come a  rendezvous  for  his  neighbours  who  shrunk 
like  himself  from  the  abominations  around  them. 
There,  from  his  character,  by  which  he  recommended 
himself  as  the  friend  of  God,  he  might  very  naturally 
be  looked  upon  as  a  religious  teacher,  and  men  might 
gather  together  to  learn  from  his  lips  or  profit  by 
his  example.  Hence,  making  due  allowance  for 
Eastern  hyperbole,  the  statement  of  the  Book  of 
Jasher  (chap.  xxvi.  verse  36)  is  not  undeserving  of 
credit,  where  it  is  said  that  "  Abraham  brought  all 
the  children  of  the  land  to  the  service  of  God,  and 
he  taught  them  the  ways  of  the  Lord."  The  same 
remark  applies  to  what  is  said  in  Targ.  Yerushalmi 
(Gen.  xxi.),  that  Abraham's  guests  went  not  away 
until  "  he  had  made  them  proselytes,  and  had 
taught  them  the  way  everlasting."  His  son  Isaac, 
says  the  Targ.  of  Ben  Uzziel,  went  to  school  at  the 
"  Beth  Medrasha  de  Shem  Rabba." 

(e.)  Though  Abraham  kept  all  the  commandments, 


CHAPTER  III.  53 

he  was  not  perfect  till  he  was  circumcised.     (Nedarim, 

fol.  31,  col.  2.) 

Note. — In  whatever  sense  this  may  have  been  written, 
and  whatever  the  interpretation  that  may  be  put 
upon  it,  there  is  one  sense  in  which  it  is  absolutely 
and  eternally  true,  and  that  is,  that,  in  order  to  be 
perfect,  a  man's  life  must  be  as  pronounced  on  the 
negative  side  as  the  positive,  in  its  denials  as  in  its 
affirmations,  and  that  it  is  futile  to  attempt  to  obey 
God  unless  one  at  the  same  time  renounce  all  co- 
partnery with  the  devil.  Circumcision  is  the  sym- 
bol of  this  renunciation,  and  it  is  only  as  such  it 
has  any  radical  spiritual  significance.  Till  he  was 
circumcised,  it  is  said,  God  did  not  speak  to  Abra- 
ham in  Hebrew.  Not  till  then  is  sacredness  of 
speech,  any  more  than  sacredness  of  life,  possible. 
Doubtless  among  the  Jews  circumcision  was  the 
symbol  of  their  separation  from  the  ethnic  religions  ; 
and  hence  the  jealousy  with  which  their  prophets 
looked  upon  any  compromise  with  idolatry.  Hatred 
of  that,  utter  and  intense,  was  the  one  essential 
negative  pole  of  genuine  Judaism,  and  circumcision 
was  its  sign  and  seal. 

(/.)  Abraham  was  the  first  of  the  proselytes.  (Succah, 
fol.  49,  col.  2.) 

(g.)  Abraham  it  was  that  ordained  the  form  of  prayer 
for  morning  worship,  which  is  extant  to  this  very  day. 
(Berachoth,  fol.  26,  col.  2.) 

(h. )  As  he  himself  was  pious,  so  were  his  very  camels, 
for  they  would  not  enter  into  a  place  where  there  were 
idols  ;  as  it  is  written  (Gen.  xxiv.  31),  "I  have  prepared," 
i.e. ,  removed  the  idols  from,  "  the  house  and  room  for  the 
camels."     (Avoth  oV  Rabbi  Nathan,  chap.  8.) 

Note. — The  Targum  of  Ben  Uzziel  suggests  the  same 
principle  as  this  tradition :  "I  have  purified  the 
house  from  strange  worship,  and  have  prepared 
a  place  for  the  camels." 

(i.)  Abraham  had  a  daughter,  and  her  name  was  Bakol. 
{Ibid,,  fol.  16,  col.  2.) 

(j.)  Abraham  was  free  from  evil  passion.  {Bava 
Bathra,  fol.  17,  col.  1.) 

(k.)  He  was  also  free  from  the  Angel  of  Death.  (Ibid., 
fol.  17,  col.  1.) 


54  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

(I )  He  delivered  to  the  children  he  had  by  Keturah 
a  secret  name,  with  which  they  learned  to  practise  witch- 
craft and  do  the  works  of  the  devil.  (Sanhedrin,  fol. 
91,  coL  1.) 

(m.)  Though  great,  he  personally  waited  on  his  guests, 
who  had  the  appearance  of  Arabs  and  not  of  angels. 
(Kiddashin,  fol.  32,  coL  2.) 

(n.)  Rabbi  Yehudah  says  Abraham  planted  an  orna- 
mental garden  with  all  kinds  of  choice  fruits  in  it,  and 
Rabbi  Nehemiah  says  he  erected  an  inn  for  travellers 
in  order  to  make  known  the  name  of  God  to  all  who 
sojourned  in  it.     (Soteh,  fol.  10,  col.  1.) 

Note. — Both  the  Targum  of  Ben  Uzziel  and  the  Yerus- 
halmi  say  that  Abraham  planted  a  paradise  at 
Beersheba  for  the  entertainment  and  delectation  of 
his  guests;  and  in  Jasher  (chap,  xxvii.  verse  37),  it 
is  said  that  "  Abraham  formed  a  grove  and  planted 
a  vineyard  there,  and  had  always  ready  in  his  tent 
meat  and  drink  for  those  that  passed  through  the 
land,  so  that  they  might  satisfy  themselves  in  his 
house. " 

(0.)  He  ranked  as  one  of  the  seven  shepherds  of  Israel 
(Micah  v.  5).  In  this  group  David  was  the  central 
figure,  with  Adam,  Seth,  and  Methusaleh  on  his  right 
hand,  and  Abraham,  Jacob,  and  Moses  on  his  left. 
(Succah,  fol.  52,  col.  2.) 

(p.)  The  coin  of  Jerusalem  had  the  impress  of  David 
and  Solomon  on  the  one  side,  and  the  holy  city  of 
Jerusalem  on  the  other.  But  the  impress  on  the  coin  of 
our  father  Abraham  was  an  old  man  and  an  old  woman 
on  one  side,  and  a  young  man  and  a  damsel  on  the  other. 
(Bava  Kama,  fol.  37,  col.  2.) 

Note. — This,  it  is  to  be  presumed,  must  be  taken  in 
some  symbolical  sense,  for  coins  cannot  be  traced 
back  to  a  date  so  early  as  this  ;  and  when  Abraham 
purchased  the  cave  to  bury  Sarali  in  from  the 
sons  of  Heth,  we  read  that  he  weighed  to  Ephron 
the  silver. 

(q.)  Abraham  pleaded  with  God  on  behalf  of  Israel 
and  said,  "  While  there  is  a  Temple  they  will  get  their 
sins  atoned  for,  but  when  there  shall  be  no  Temple,  what 
will  become  of  them?"  God,  in  answer  to  his  prayer, 
assured  him  that  He  had  prepared  a  prayer  for  them, 


CHAPTER  II L  55 

by  which,  as  often  as  they  read  it,  He  would  be  pro- 
pitiated and  would  pardon  all  their  sins.  (Meggillah, 
fol.  31,  col.  2.) 

(r.)  He  was  punished  by  his  posterity  being  compelled 
to  serve  the  Egyptians  two  hundred  and  ten  years,  be- 
cause he  had  pressed  the  Rabbis  under  his  tuition  into 
military  service  in  the  expedition  he  had  undertaken  to 
recover  Lot  from  those  who  had  carried  him  off  captive ; 
for  it  is  written  (Gen.  xiv.  14),  "He  armed  his  in- 
structed." Samuel  says  Abraham  was  punished  because 
he  perversely  distrusted  the  assurance  of  God ;  as  it  is 
written  (Gen.  xv.  8),  "  Whereby  shall  I  knoiv  that  I  shall 
inherit  it?"     (Nedarim,  fol.  31,  col.  2.) 

(s.)  Abraham  was  thrown  into  a  fiery  furnace  by 
Nimrod,  and  God  would  not  permit  Gabriel  to  rescue 
him,  but  did  so  Himself;  because  God  is  One  and 
Abraham  was  one,  therefore  it  behoved  the  One  to  rescue 
the  one.     (P'sachim,  foL  118,  col.  1.) 

Note. — The  fire  from  which  Abraham  is  here  said  to  be 
delivered  may  simply  refer  to  his  deliverance  by 
the  hand  of  God  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees;  Ur 
meaning  "  fire,"  and  being  the  name  of  a  place 
celebrated  for  fire-worship.  The  Midrash  (p.  20) 
says,  "When  the  wicked  Mmrod  cast  Abraham  into 
the  furnace,  Gabriel  said,  '  Lord  of  the  universe ! 
permit  me  to  deliver  this  holy  one  from  the  fire  ! ' 
But  the  Lord  made  answer,  '  I  am  the  One  Supreme 
in  my  world,  and  he  is  supreme  in  his ;  it  is  fitting 
therefore  that  the  Supreme  should  rescue  the 
supreme.'" 

(t.)  Abraham  was  a  giant  of  giants ;  his  height  was 
as  that  of  severity-four  men  put  together.  His  food,  his 
drink,  and  his  strength  were  in  the  proportion  of  seventy- 
four  men's  to  one  man's.  He  built  an  iron  city  for  the 
abode  of  his  seventeen  children  by  Keturah,  the  waDs 
of  which  were  so  lofty  that  the  sun  never  penetrated 
them  :  he  gave  them  a  bowl  full  of  precious  stones,  the 
brilliancy  of  which  supplied  them  with  light  in  the 
absence  of  the  sum      (Soph  rim.,  chap.  21.) 

(u. )  Abraham  our  father  had  a  precious  stone  suspended 
from  his  neck,  and  every  sick  person  that  gazed  upon  it 
was  immediately  healed  of  his  disease.  But  when 
Abraham  died,  God  hung  up  the  stone  on  the  sphere  of 
the  sun.     (Bava  Bathra,  fol.  16,  col.  2.) 


56  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

(v.)  Till  Abraham's  time  there  was  no  such  thing  as 
a  beard ;  but  as  many  mistook  Abraham  for  Isaac,  and 
Isaac  for  Abraham,  they  looked  so  exactly  alike,  Abra- 
ham prayed  to  God  for  a  beard  to  enable  people  to  dis- 
tinguish him  from  his  son,  Isaac,  and  it  was  granted 
him;  as  it  is  written  (Gen.  xxiv.  i),  "  And  to  Abraham 
a  beard  came  when  he  was  well  stricken  in  age." 
(Sanhedrin,  fol.  107,  col.  2.) 

Note. — Here  the  word  p?,  which  the  translators  of  the 
English  version  render  was  old,  is  taken  in  another 
of  its  cognate  meanings  as  a  beard.  The  Midrash 
is  a  trifle  more  modest  in  this  legendary  assertion. 
There  we  read,  "  Before  Abraham  there  was  no 
special  mark  of  old  age,"  and  that  for  distinction's 
sake  "  the  beard  was  made  to  turn  grey." 

(w.)  When  he  died,  all  the  chiefs  of  the  nations  of  the 
world  stood  in  a  line  and  exclaimed,  "Alas  for  the 
world,  that  has  lost  its  leader  !  Alas  for  the  ship  that 
has  lost  its  helmsman  !  "     (Bava  Bathra,  fol.  91,  col.  2.) 

(x.)  As  Rabbi  Banna  went  about  to  measure  and  to 
mark  off  the  outward  and  inward  dimensions  of  the 
different  caves,  when  he  came  to  the  cave  of  Machpelah 
he  found  Eliezar,  Abraham's  servant,  at  the  entrance, 
and  asked  him,  "  What  is  Abraham  doing  ? "  The 
answer  he  received  was,  "  He  is  asleep  in  the  arms  of 
Sarah."     {Ibid.,  fol.  58,  coL  1.) 

Note  2. — Abraham  being  greater  than  Moses,  for  whilst  the 
latter  is  only  called  by  God  "  My  Servant "  (Mai.  iv. 
4),  the  former  is  called  "My  Friend"  (Isa.  xli.  8),  we 
are  fain  to  devote  a  little  more  space  for  a  few  more 
extracts  from  other  Jewish  sources  than  the  Talmud,  in 
order  to  make  the  picture  they  supply  of  our  father 
Abraham's  character  a  little  more  complete. 

(aa.)  Rabbi  Yochanan  ben  Nuri  says : — "  The  Holy  One 
— blessed  be  He  ! — took  Shem  and  separated  him  to  be  a 
priest  to  Himself,  that  he  might  serve  before  Him.  He 
also  caused  His  Shechinah  to  rest  with  him,  and  called 
his  name  Melchizedek,  priest  of  the  Most  High  and 
king  of  Salem.  His  brother  Japheth  even  studied  the 
law  in  his  school,  until  Abraham  came  and  also  learned 
the  law  in  the  school  of  Shem,  where  God  Himself 
instructed  Abraham,  so  that  all  else  he  had  learned  from 


CHAPTER  III. 


57 


the  lips  of  man  was  forgotten.  Then  came  Abraham 
and  prayed  to  God  that  His  Shechinah  might  ever  rest 
in  the  house  of  Shem,  which  also  was  promised  to  him  ; 
as  it  is  said  (Ps.  ex.  4),  '  Thou  art  a  priest  for  ever 
after  the  order  of  Melchizedek.'  "  (Avodath  Hakkodesh, 
part  3,  chap.  20.) 

(ab.)  Wherever  Jacob  resided  he  studied  the  law  as 
his  fathers  did.  How  is  this,  seeing  the  law  had  not 
yet  been  given,  it  is  nevertheless  written  of  Abraham 
(Gen.  xxvi.  5),  "And  he  kept  my  charge  "  ?  Whence  then 
did  Abraham  learn  the  law?  Rabbi  Shimon  says  his 
reins  (literally  kidneys)  were  made  like  two  water-jars, 
from  which  the  law  flowed  forth.  Where  do  we  learn 
that  it  was  so  1  From  what  is  said  in  Ps.  xvi.  7,  "  My 
reins  also  instruct  me  in  the  night  season."  (Bereshith 
Rabba,  chap.  95.) 

{etc, )  The  masters  of  the  Kabbalah,  of  blessed  memory, 
say  that  Abraham's  Rabbi,  i.e.,  teacher,  was  the  angel 
Zadkiel.   (Rabbi  Menachem's  comment  on  the  Pent.,  Exod. 

iii-  5-) 

(ad.)  Adam's  book,  which  contained  celestial  mysteries 
and  holy  wisdom,  came  down  as  an  heirloom  into  the 
hands  of  Abraham,  and  he  by  means  of  it  was  able 
to  see  the  glory  of  his  Lord.    (Zoliar  Parashah  Bereshith. ) 

(ae.)  Abraham  was  the  author  of  a  (NrDDO)  treatise 
on  the  subject  of  different  kinds  of  witchcraft  and  its 
unholy  workings  and  fruits,  as  also  of  the  Book  of 
Creation,  m>X*  1SD,  through  holy  names,  (by  means  of 
which,  namely,  anything  could  be  created.)  (NisJwiath 
Chayim,  chap.  29). 

(af.)  The  whole  world  once  believed  that  the  souls  of 
men  were  perishable,  and  that  man  had  no  pre-eminence 
above  a  beast,  till  Abraham  came  and  preached  the 
doctrine  of  immortality  and  transmigration.  (More  on 
this  subject  we  give  in  Part  III.  of  this  work.)  (Ibid., 
fol.  171,  col.  1.) 

(ag.)  A  good  son  delivers  his  father  from  the  punish- 
ment of  hell,  for  thus  we  find  that  Abraham  our  father 
delivered  Terah,  as  it  is  said  in  Gen.  xv.  15,  "And 
thoushalt  go  to  thy  fathers  in  peace."  This  implies  that 
God  had  communicated  to  him  the  tidings  that  his 
father  had  a  portion  in  the  world  to  come  and  was  now 
"in peace"  there.     (Pesikta  Zotarta,  fol.  3,  col.  2.) 

(ah.)  Before  Abraham  was  circumcised  God  spake  to 
him  in  the  Chaldee  language,  that  the  angels  should  not 


58  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

understand  it.  (This  is  proved  from  Gen.  xv.  i.)  (Yallcut 
Chadash,  fol.  117.) 

(ai.)  Eabbi  Levi  said  Abraham  sits  at  the  gate  of 
hell  and  does  not  permit  any  circumcised  Israelite  to 
enter.  But  if  any  appear  who  happen  to  have  sinned 
unduly,  these  he  (by  an  indescribable  contrivance)  causes  to 
become  uncircumcised  and  lets  pass  without  scruple  into 
the  region  of  torment ;  and  this  is  what  is  said  in  Ps.  lv. 
20,  "  He  hath  put  forth  his  hands  against  such  as  be  at 
peace  with  him  :  he  hath  broken  his  covenant."  (Yalkut 
Shimoni,  fol.  33,  col.  2,  sec.  18.) 

(ak.)  Abraham  was  circumcised  on  the  Day  of  Atone- 
ment, and  God  looks  that  day  annually  on  the  blood  of 
the  covenant  of  our  father  Abraham's  circumcision  as 
atoning  for  all  our  iniquities,  as  it  is  said  in  Lev.  xvi.  30, 
"  For  on  that  day  shall  he  make  an  atonement  for  you, 
to  cleanse  you  from  all  your  sins."  (Yalkut  Chadash,  fol. 
121,  col.  1,  sec.  3.) 

(al.)  "And  it  came  to  pass  that  when  Abram  was 
come  into  Egypt"  (Gen.  xii.  14).  And  where  was 
Sarah  1  He  confined  her  in  a  chest,  into  which  he  locked 
her,  lest  any  one  should  gaze  on  her  beauty.  When  he 
came  to  the  receipt  of  custom,  he  was  summoned  to  open 
the  chest,  but  declined,  and  offered  payment  of  the  duty. 
The  officers  said,  "  Thou  carriest  garments ; "  and  he  offered 
duty  for  garments.  "  Nay,  it  is  gold  thou  carriest ;  "  and 
he  offered  the  impost  laid  on  gold.  Then  they  said,  "  It 
is  costly  silks,  belike  pearls,  thou  concealest ; "  and  he 
offered  the  custom  on  such  articles.  At  length  the 
Egyptian  officers  insisted,  and  he  opened  the  box.  And 
when  he  did  so,  all  the  land  of  Egypt  was  illumined 
by  her  beauty.     (Bereshith  Rabba,  chap.  40.) 

(am.)  The  question  may  naturally  be  asked  why 
Abraham  hid  his  wife  from  the  gaze  of  others  first  then 
and  not  before.  The  reply  is  to  be  deduced  from  the 
following  double  rendering  of  Gen.  xii.  1 1  : — "  Behold 
now  1  know  that  thou  art  a  fair  woman."  As  if  to  say, 
"Usually  people  lose  their  good  looks  on  a  long  journey, 
but  thou  art  as  beautiful  as  ever. "  The  second  explanation 
is  this  : — Abraham  was  so  piously  modest  that  in  all  his 
life  he  never  once  looked  a  female  in  the  face,  his  own 
wife  not  excepted.  As  he  approached  Egypt  and  was 
crossing  some  water,  he  saw  in  it  the  reflection  of  her 
face,  and  it  was  then  that  he  exclaimed,  "  Behold  now 
I  know  that  thou  art  a  fair  woman."     As  the  Egyptians 


CHAPTER  III.  59 

are  swarthy,  Abraham  at  once  perceived  the  magnitude 
of  the  danger,  and  hence  his  precaution  to  hide  her 
beauty  in  a  chest.  (Zeenah  Ureenah  (1877  in  Kussia), 
fol.  28,  col.  1.) 

(an.)  When  Abraham  came  to  the  cave  of  Machpelah 
to  bury  Sarah,  Adam  and  Eve  rose  from  their  grave  and 
protested  against  his  committing  her  to  the  dust  in  that 
receptacle.  "  For,"  said  they,  "  we  are  ever  ashamed  in 
the  presence  of  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — on  account 
of  the  sin  which  we  committed,  and  now  comest  thou  to 
add  to  our  shame  by  the  contrast  therewith  of  the  good 
works  which  ye  two  have  done."  On  Abraham's  assur- 
ance that  he  would  intercede  with  God  on  their  behalf 
that  they  should  not  bear  the  shame  any  longer,  Adam 
immediately  retired  to  his  sepulchre,  but  Eve  being  still  un- 
willing to  do  so,  Abraham  took  her  by  the  hand  and  led 
her  back  to  the  side  of  Adam  ;  and  then  he  buried  Sarah. 
(Yalkut  Chadash,  fol.  14,  col.  3,  sec.  68.) 

(ao.)  Abraham's  father,  Terah,  was  both  an  idolater, 
a  manufacturer  of  idols,  and  a  dealer  in  them.  Once 
when  Terah  had  some  engagement  elsewhere  he  left  his 
son  Abraham  to  attend  to  his  business.  When  a  cus- 
tomer came  to  purchase  an  idol,  Abraham  asked  him, 
"  How  old  art  thou  1 "  "  Lo  !  so  many  years,"  was  the 
ready  reply.  "What,"  exclaimed  Abraham,  "  is  it  possible 
that  a  man  of  so  many  years  should  desire  to  worship 
a  thing  only  a  day  old  i  "  The  customer,  being  ashamed 
of  himself,  went  his  way  ;  and  so  did  all  other  customers, 
who  underwent  a  similar  inquisition.  Once  an  old  woman 
brought  a  measure  of  fine  flour  and  wished  to  present 
it  as'an  offering  to  the  gods.  This  so  enraged  Abraham 
that  he  took  a  staff  and  broke  all  the  images,  excepting 
the  largest,  into  whose  hands  he  fixed  the  staff.  When 
his  father  came  and  questioned  him  about  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  gods,  he  replied,  "  An  old  woman  placed  an 
offering  of  flour  before  them,  which  immediately  set 
them  all  by  the  ears,  for  every  one  was  hungrier  than 
another,  but  the  biggest  god  killed  all  the  rest  with  this 
staff  which  thou  now  seest  he  still  holds  in  his  hands." 
Superstition,  especially  when  combined  with  mercenary 
motives,  knows  neither  reason  nor  human  affection, 
therefore  the  father  handed  over  his  son  Abraham  to  the 
inquisition  of  Nimrod,  who  threw  him  into  the  fiery 
furnace,  as  recorded  elsewhere  in  this  Miscellany.  This 
is  an  historical  fact,  to  the  truth  of  which  the  whole 


60  A    TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

orthodox  Jewish  world  will  bear  testimony,  and  is 
solemnly  recorded  in  Shalsheleth  Hakkabalah,  fol.  2, 
col.  1. 

(N.B. — Consult  Index  for  more  on  the  subject  of  Abraham.) 

41.  There  are  three  graces : — The  grace  of  a  place  in  the 
eyes  of  its  inhabitants ;  the  grace  of  a  woman  in  the  eyes 
of  her  husband ;  the  grace  of  a  purchase  in  the  eyes  of 
the  buyer.  Soteh,  fol.  47,  col.  1. 

42.  A  man  should  divide  his  capital  into  three  parts, 
and  invest  one-third  in  land,  employ  one-third  in  mer- 
chandise, and  reserve  one-third  in  ready  money. 

Bava  Metzia,  foL  42,  col.  1. 

43.  All  who  go  down  to  hell  shall  come  up  again,  except 
these  three : — He  who  commits  adultery  ;  he  who  shames 
another  in  public ;  and  he  who  gives  another  a  bad  name. 

Ibid.,  foL  58,  col.  2. 

44.  These  three  complain,  but  no  one  sympathises  with 
them : — He  who  lends  money  without  witnesses ;  he  who 
buys  to  himself  a  master ;  and  he  who  is  lorded  over  by 
his  wife.  Ibid.,  fol.  75,  col.  2. 

Note. — The  sense  in  all  these  cases  is  the  same,  viz.,  that  no 
one  pities  the  man  who  brings  his  troubles  upon  himself. 
The  expression,  "  buy  a  master  to  himself,"  finds  illus- 
tration in  the  Latin  proverb,  "  Ghius  dominum  emit," 
"The  Chian  buys  himself  a  master."  This  proverb 
originated  thus :  When  Mithridates  conquered  Chios,  he 
gave  over  the  inhabitants  into  the  hands  of  the  very 
slaves  they  themselves  had  imported. 

45.  There  are  three  things  on  which  the  world  stands : — 
The  law,  the  temple  service,  and  benevolence. 

Avoth,  chap.  1. 

46.  If  three  eat  at  one  table  and  do  not  converse  together 
on  the  law  of  the  Lord,  it  is  as  if  they  ate  from  the  sacri- 
fices for  the  dead ;  but  they,  on  the  contrary,  are  as  if  they 


CHAPTER  III.  6 1 

partook  from  a  table  of  the  Lord's  own  furnishing  who, 
while  they  sit  down  to  meat,  season  their  talk  with  its 
holy  precepts.  Avoth,  chap.  3. 

47.  There  are  three  crowns  : — The  crown  of  the  law,  the 
crown  of  the  priesthood,  and  the  crown  of  royalty ;  but 
the  crown  of  a  good  name  surpasses  them  all. 

Ibid.,  chap.  4. 

48.  He  who  possesses  these  three  virtues  is  a  disciple 
of  Abraham  our  father,  and  he  who  possesses  the  three 
contrary  vices  is  a  son  of  Balaam  the  wicked.  The  dis- 
ciples of  our  father  Abraham  have  a  kindly  eye,  a  loyal 
spirit,  and  a  lowly  mind.  The  disciples  of  Balaam  the 
wicked  have  an  evil  eye,  a  proud  spirit,  and  a  grasping 
soul.  Ibid.,  chap.  5. 

49.  TJiree  things  are  said  respecting  the  children  of 
men : — He  who  gives  alms  brings  a  blessing  on  himself ; 
he  who  lends  does  better;  he  who  gives  away  half  of 
what  he  hath  to  spare  does  best  of  all. 

Avoth  d'Rab.  Nathan,  chap.  41. 

50.  There  are  three  classes  of  disciples,  and  among  them 
three  grades  of  worth: — He  ranks  first  who  asks  and 
answers  when  asked;  he  who  asks  but  does  not  answer 
ranks  next ;  but  he  who  neither  asks  nor  answers  ranks 
lowest  of  all.  Ibid. 

51.  Over  these  three  does  God  weep  every  day: — Over 
him  who  is  able  to  study  the  law  but  neglects  it ;  over 
him  who  studies  it  amidst  difficulties  hard  to  overcome  ; 
and  over  the  ruler  who  behaves  arrogantly  towards  the 
community  he  should  protect.       Chaggigah,  fol.  5,  col.  2. 

52.  Eabbi  Yochanan  says  there  are  three  keys  in  the 
hand  of  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — which  He  never 
intrusts  to  the  disposal  of   a   messenger,  and   they   are 


62  A   TALMUD IC  MISCELLANY. 

these : — (i.)  The  key  of  rain,  (2.)  the  key  of  life  (iTn),  and 
(3.)  the  key  of  reviving  the  dead.  The  key  of  rain, 
for  it  is  written  (Deut.  xxviii.  12),  "  The  Lord  shall  open 
unto  thee  His  good  treasure,  the  heaven  to  give  the  rain 
unto  thy  land  in  season ; "  the  key  of  life,  as  it  is  written 
(Gen.  xxx.  22),  "  God  hearkened  unto  her,  and  opened  her 
womb;"  the  key  of  reviving  the  dead,  for  it  is  written 
(Ezek.  xxxvii.  13),  "When  I  have  opened  your  graves, 
and  brought  you  up  out  of  your  graves,  and  shall  put  rny 
spirit  in  you,  and  ye  shall  live,"  &c. 

Taanitk,  foL  2,  col.  1,  2. 

53.  A  disciple  of  the  wise  who  makes  light  of  the  wash- 
ing of  hands  is  contemptible ;  but  more  contemptible  is  he 
who  begins  to  eat  before  his  guest ;  more  contemptible  is 
that  guest  who  invites  another  guest ;  and  still  more  con- 
temptible is  he  who  begins  to  eat  before  a  disciple  of  the 
wise ;  but  contemptible  before  all  these  three  put  together 
is  that  guest  which  troubles  another  guest. 

Derech  Eretz  Zuta,  chap.  viii. 

54.  A  roll  of  the  law  which  has  two  mistakes  to  a 
column  should  be  corrected ;  but  if  there  be  three,  it  should 
be  stowed  away  altogether.  Menachoth,  fol.  29,  col.  2. 

55.  All  creatures  spW  TUD  D\D3  VVDWD  except  three, 
and  these  do  it,  D^SJ  TOD  D^D, — fish,  man,  and  the 
serpent.  Why  should  the  action  of  these  three  differ 
from  the  rest  ?  When  Eav  Dimi  came  he  said,  "  They 
in  the  west  say  it  is  because  the  Shechinah  conversed 
with  them."  Of  the  camel  is  it  recorded  TOD  "Tin** 
"Dim  Bechoroth,  fol.  8,  col.  1. 

56.  The  wolf,  the  lion,  the  bear,  the  leopard,  the 
panther,  the  elephant,  and  the  sea-cat,  each  bear  three 
years.  Ibid. 

57.  Eav  Yehudah  says,  in  the  name  of  Eav,  "The 
butcher  is  bound  to  have  three  knives ;  one  to  slaughter 


CHAPTER  III.  63 

with,  one  for  cutting  up  the  carcase,  and  one  to  cut  away 
the  suet.*  Chullin,  fol.  8,  col.  2. 

58.  Three  classes  of  ministering  angels  raise  a  song  of 
praise  every  day.  One  class  says,  Holy  !  the  second  re- 
sponds, Holy  !  and  the  third  continues,  Holy  is  the  Lord 
of  hosts  !  But  in  the  presence  of  the  Holy  One — blessed 
be  He  ! — Israel  is  more  beloved  than  the  ministering 
angels;  for  Israel  reiterates  the  song  every  hour,  while 
the  ministering  angels  repeat  it  only  once  a  day,  some 
say  once  a  week,  others  once  a  month,  others  once  a  year, 
others  once  in  seven  years,  others  once  in  a  jubilee,  and 
others  only  once  in  eternity.  Again,  Israel  mentions  The 
Name  (mrP)  after  two  words,  as  it  is  said  (Deut.  vi.  4), 
mm  bx-)W  WV,  " Hear  Israel,  Yehovah"  but  the  mini- 
stering angels  do  not  mention  The  Name  (mm)  till  after 
three,  as  it  is  written  (Isa.  vi.  3),  mm  ttfVTp  t#Hp  OTlp 
JYHOXj  "  Holy  !  holy  !  holy !  Yehovah  Zebaoth."  Moreover, 
the  ministering  angels  do  not  take  up  the  song  above  till 
Israel  has  started  it  below ;  for  it  is  said  (Job  xxxviii.  7), 
"  When  the  morning  stars  sang  together,-)-  then  all  the  sons 
of  God  shouted  for  joy."  Ibid.,  fol.  91,  col.  2. 

59.  "l"n  The  Eabbis  have  taught,  a  man  should  not 
sell  to  his  neighbour  shoes  made  from  the  hide  of  a  beast 
that  has  died  of  disease,  as  if  of  a  beast  that  had  been 
slaughtered  in  the  shambles,  for  two  reasons  :  first,  because 
he  imposes  on  him  (for  the  skin  of  a  beast  that  dies  of 
itself  is  not  so  durable  as  the  hide  of  a  slaughtered 
animal) ;  second,  because  there  is  danger  (for  the  beast 
that  died  of  itself  might  have  been  stung  by  a  serpent, 
and  the  poison  remaining  in  the  leather  might  prove  fatal 
to  the  wearer  of  shoes  made  of  that  leather).  A  man 
should  not  send  his  neighbour  a  barrel  of  wine  with  oil 
floating  upon  its  surface ;   for   it  happened  once  that  a 

*  Suet  being  as  unlawful  for  food  as  pork, 
t  "  Israel  are  likened  to  stars,"  says  Rashi. 


64  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

man  did  so,  and  the  recipient  went  and  invited  his  friends 
to  a  feast,  in  the  preparation  of  which  oil  was  to  form 
a  chief  ingredient;  but  when  the  guests  assembled,  it 
was  found  out  that  the  cask  contained  wine,  and  not  oil ; 
and  because  the  host  had  nothing  else  in  preparation  for  a 
worthy  feast,  he  went  and  committed  suicide.  Neither 
should  guests  give  anything  from  what  is  set  before  them 
to  the  son  or  daughter  of  their  host,  unless  the  host  him- 
self give  them  leave  to  do  so  ;  for  it  once  happened  dur- 
ing a  time  of  scarcity  that  a  man  invited  three  of  his 
friends  to  dine,  and  he  had  nothing  but  three  eggs  to  place 
before  them.  Meanwhile,  as  the  guests  were  seated  at  the 
board,  the  son  of  the  host  came  into  the  room,  and  first 
one  of  the  guests  gave  him  his  share,  and  then  the  other 
two  followed  his  example.  Shortly  afterwards  the  host 
himself  came  in,  and  seeing  the  child  with  his  mouth  full 
and  both  hands,  he  knocked  him  down  to  the  ground,  so 
that  he  died  on  the  instant.  The  mother,  seeing  this,  went 
and  threw  herself  headlong  from  the  housetop,  and  the 
father  followed  her  example.  Thus  Eabbi  Eliezar  ben 
Yacob  said,  "  There  perished  in  this  affair  three  souls  of 
Israel."  Chullin,  fol.  94,  col.  1. 

60.  Once  the  Eoman  Government  issued  a  decree  that 
the  Israelites  should  neither  observe  the  Sabbath  nor 
circumcise  their  sons  and  m73n  JIN  "PJ^ttf.  Thereupon 
Eeuben  the  son  of  Istrubli  trimmed  his  hair  as  a  Gentile, 
and  went  among  the  Eoman  senators  and  plied  them  with 
wise  remonstrance.  "  If  one,"  said  he,  "  has  an  enemy, 
does  he  wish  him  to  be  poor  or  rich  ? "  "  To  be  poor," 
was  the  reply.  "  Then,"  he  argued,  "  won't  he  be  poorer 
if  you  prohibit  him  from  working  on  the  Sabbath  ?  "  "  It 
is  well  said,"  observed  the  senators ;  and  they  at  once 
abolished  their  decree  respecting  the  Sabbath.  Again  he 
asked,  "  If  one  has  an  enemy,  does  he  wish  him  to  be 
weak  or  strong  ? "  "  Why,  weak,  to  be  sure,"  was  the 
inevitable  answer.     "  Then,"  said  he,  "  let  the  Jews  cir- 


CHAPTER  III.  65 

cuincise  their  children,  then  will  they  be  weakened." 
"  The  argument  is  good,"  said  they,  and  the  decree  against 
circumcision  was  rescinded.  Again  he  asked,  "  If  one 
has  an  enemy,  does  he  wish  him  to  increase  or  decrease  ?  " 
"  To  decrease,  of  course,"  said  they.  "  Then,"  argued  he, 
"  DYft  V^W  lib"  The  decree  against  catamenia  was 
accordingly  abolished.  When,  however,  they  found  out 
that  he  was  a  Jew,  they  at  once  re-enacted  the  decrees 
they  had  cancelled.  Upon  this  the  question  arose  who 
should  go  to  Eome  and  appeal  against  these  enactments. 
It  was  resolved  that  Eabbi  Shimon  ben  Yochai,  who  was 
reputed  experienced  in  miracles,  should  go,  accompanied  by 
Eabbi  Elazar,  the  son  of  Eabbi  Yossi. ...  As  they  journeyed 
along,  the  question  was  proposed  to  them,  "  Whence  is  it 
proved  that  the  blood  of  a  reptile  is  unclean  ? "  Eabbi 
Elazar  replied  with  a  curl  of  the  lip,  and  quoted  Lev.  ii. 
29,  "And  these  shall  be  unclean  unto  you."  Eabbi 
Shimon  said  unto  him,  "  By  the  curl  of  thy  lip  art  thou 
recognisable  as  a  disciple  of  the  wise!  May  the  son 
never  return  to  his  father  ! "  for  he  was  annoyed  that  he 
should  presume  to  teach  a  Halachah  in  his  presence,  and 
then  and  there  he  condemned  him  to  death.  (See  BeracJioth, 
fol.  31,  col.  2.)  Thereupon  Ben  Temal ion  (an  evil  sprite 
or  imp)  came,  and  greeting  him,  said,  "  Do  ye  wish  me  to 
accompany  you  ? "  Eabbi  Shimon  wept  and  said,  "  Alas  ! 
a  maid-servant  of  my  ancestor  (Abraham)  was  assisted  by 
three  angels  *  and  I  have  not  one  to  attend  me !  How- 
ever,  let  a  miracle  be  worked  for  us  anyhow."  Then  the 
evil  spirit  entered  into  the  Emperor's  daughter,  and  when 
the  Eabbi  was  called  in  to  cure  the  princess,  he  exorcised 
the  spirit  by  saying,  "Depart,  Ben  Temalion!  Ben 
Temalion,  depart ! "  and  the  evil  spirit  left  her.  By  way 
of  reward  the  Eabbis  were  bidden  to  ask  whatsoever  they 
pleased,  and  admitted  into  the  imperial  treasury  that 
they  might  choose  what  seemed  good  to  them.     Espying 

*  The  word  angel  occurs  three  times  in  the  narrative. 


66  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLAXV. 

there  the  edict  against  Israel,  they  chose  it,  and  tore  it 
to  pieces.  Meyilah,  fol.  17,  col.  1,  2. 

61.  At  the  time  when  the  high  priest  enters  to  wor- 
ship, three  acolytes  take  hold  of  him,  one  by  the  right 
hand  and  another  by  the  left,  while  the  third  lifts  the 
gems  attached  to  the  train  of  his  pontifical  vestment. 

Tamidj  chap.  7  ;  Misltna,  1. 

62.  "  I  once,  when  a  grave-digger,"  says  Abba  Shaul,  as 
the  Eabbis  relate,  "  chased  a  roe  which  had  entered  the 
shin-bone  of  a  dead  man  ;  and  though  I  ran  three  miles 
after  it,  I  could  not  overtake  it,  nor  reach  the  end  of  the 
bone.  When  I  returned,  I  was  told  that  it  was  a  bone  of 
Og,  king  of  Bashan."  Niddah,  fol.  24,  col.  2. 

65.  The  Eabbis  have  taught  that  during  the  first  three 
months  (of  pregnancy)  the  child  lies  in  the  lower  part  (of 
the  uterus) ;  during  the  next  three  it  occupies  the  middle 
part;  and  during  the  last  three  it  is  in  the  upper  part; 
and  that  when  the  time  of  parturition  comes,  it  turns 
over  first,  and  this  causes  the  birth-pains.  We  are  also 
taught  that  the  pains  caused  by  a  female  child  are  greater 
than  those  caused  by  a  male.  Eabbi  Elazar  said,  "  What 
Scripture  is  there  for  this  ?  '  When  I  was  made  in  secret 
and  curiously  wrought,  \T)Ep""l,  in  the  lowest  parts  of  the 
earth'  (Ps.  exxxix.  15).  It  is  not  said,  \TITT,  '  I  abode' 
but,  \HDp1,  '  I  was  curiously  wrought.'  Why  the  dif- 
ference ?  Why  are  the  pains  caused  by  a  girl  greater 
than  those  caused  by  a  boy  ? "      "IKTDtWI    TVT3    K2    Pit 

•vjs  lain  ira  nn  d^ej  Jijsnn  it  -wnvn  -piD  an  nn. 

Niddah,  fol.  31,  col.  1. 

64.  The  Eabbis  teach  there  are  three  that  have  a  share 
in  a  man  ;  God,  and  his  father  and  mother.  The  father's 
part  consists  of  all  that  is  white  in  him — the  bones,  the 
veins,  the  nails,  the  brain,  and  the  white  of  the  eye.  The 
mother's  part  consists  of  all  that  is  red  in  him — the  skin, 


CHAPTER  III.  67 

the  flesh,  the  hair,  and  the  black  part  of  the  eye.  God's 
part  consists  of  the  breath,  the  soul,  the  physiognomy, 
sight  and  hearing,  speech,  motive  power,  knowledge, 
understanding,  and  wisdom.  And  when  the  time  comes 
that  the  man  should  depart  from  the  world,  God  takes 
away  His  part,  and  leaves  those  which  belong  to  the 
father  and  mother.  Eav  Pappa  says,  "  This  is  the  mean- 
ing of  the  proverb,  '  Shake  off  the  salt  and  throw  the 
flesh  to  the  dogs.'  "  Niddah,  fol.  31,  col.  1. 

Note. — Rashi's  explanatory  note  is  this  :  "  Shake  off  the  salt 
from  the  flesh  and  it  becomes  fit  only  for  dogs.  The 
soul  is  the  salt  which  preserves  the  body ;  when  it  departs, 
the  body  putrefies." 


(     68     ) 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   'FOURS'    OF   THE   TALMUD. 

1.  Four  tilings  require  fortitude  in  the  observance: — 
The  law,  good  works,  prayer,  and  social  duties.  Respect- 
ing the  law  and  good  works  it  is  written  (Josh.  i.  7),  "  Be 
thou  strong  and  firm,  that  thou  mayest  observe  to  do  all 
the  law ; "  in  which  the  wTord  "  strong  "  refers  to  the  law, 
and  the  word  "  firm "  to  good  works.  Of  prayer  it  is 
written,  "  Wait  on  the  Lord ;  be  strong,  and  He  shall  make 
thine  heart  firm ;  wait,  I  say,  upon  the  Lord  "  (Ps.  xxvii. 
14).  In  respect  to  social  duties  it  is  written  (2  Sam.  x.  2), 
"  Be  strong,  and  let  us  strengthen  ourselves  for  our  people, 
and  for  the  cities  of  our  God."      Berachoth,  fol.  32,  col.  2. 

2.  There  are  four  signs  which  tell  tales : — Dropsy 
(pITTi!,  Gr.  vSpcoyfr)  is  a  sign  of  sin;  jaundice  is  a  sign 
of  hatred  without  a  cause ;  poverty  is  a  sign  of  pride ;  and 
quinsy  is  a  sign  of  slander.  Shabbath,  fol.  33,  col.  1. 

3.  "  Unto  Mamre,  unto  the  city  of  Arbah,"  i.e.,  four 
(Gen.  xxxv.  27).  Rabbi  Isaac  calls  it  the  city  of  four 
couples,  i.e.,  Adam  and  Eve,  Abraham  and  Sarah,  Isaac 
and  Rebekah,  Jacob  and  Leah.  These  four  couples  being 
buried  in  Mamre,  it  was  therefore  called  "the  city  of 
four."  Eiruvin,  fol.  53,  col.  1. 

jSote. — There  is,  according  to  the  Rabbis,  no  anachronism 
here,  as  the  name  was  given  by  prophetic  anticipation. 

4.  The  sun  makes  four  quarterly  circuits.  In  April, 
May,  and  June,  i.e.,  Nisan,  Iyar,  and  Sivan,  his  circuit  is 


CHAPTER  IV.  69 

between  the  mountains,  in  order  to  dissolve  the  snow ;  in 
July,  August,  and  September,  i.e.,  Tamuz,  Ab,  and  Ellul, 
his  circuit  is  over  the  habitable  parts  of  the  earth,  in  order 
to  ripen  the  fruits  ;  in  October,  November,  and  December, 
i.e.,  Tishri,  Marcheshvan,  and  Kislev,  his  circuit  is  over 
the  seas,  to  evaporate  the  waters;  in  January,  February, 
and  March,  i.e.,  Tebeth,  Shebat,  and  Adar,  his  circuit  is 
over  the  deserts,  in  order  to  protect  the  seed  sown  from 
being  scorched.  Fsachim,  fol.  94,  col.  2. 

5.  Four  persons  are  intolerable : — A  poor  man  who  is 
proud,  a  rich  man  who  is  a  liar,  an  old  man  who  is  incon- 
tinent, and  a  warden  who  behaves  haughtily  to  a  com- 
munity for  whom  he  has  done  nothing.  To  these  some 
add  him  who  has  divorced  his  wife  once  or  twice  and 
married  her  again.  Ibid.,  fol.  113,  col.  2. 

6.  Four  things  cancel  the  decrees  of  Heaven : — Alms, 
prayer,  change  of  name,  and  reformation  of  conduct.  Alms, 
as  it  is  written  (Prov.  x.  2),  "  But  alms  (,1p~r&  more  cor- 
rectly, righteousness)  delivereth  from  death."  Prayer,  as 
it  is  written  (Ps.  cvii.  6),  "  Then  they  cried  unto  the  Lord 
in  their  trouble,  and  He  delivered  them  out  of  their  dis- 
tresses." Change  of  name,  as  it  is  said  (Gen.  xvii.  15,  16), 
"  As  for  Sarai  thy  wife,  thou  shalt  not  call  her  name  Sarai, 
but  Sarah  shall  be  her  name."  And  after  this  change  of 
name  it  is  written,  "  And  I  will  bless  her,  and  give  thee  a 
son  of  her."  Eeformation  of  conduct,  as  it  is  written, 
(Jonah  iii.  10),  "And  God  saw  their  works,"  and  "God 
repented  of  the  evil,"  &c.  Some  say  also  change  of  resi- 
dence has  the  effect  of  turning  back  the  decree  of  Heaven 
(Gen.  xii.  1),  "And  the  Lord  said  unto  Abram,  Get  thee 
out  of  thy  country  ;  "  and  then  it  is  said,  "  I  will  make  of 
thee  a  great  nation."  Bosh  Hashanah,  fol.  16,  coL  2. 

7.  Four  things  cause  an  eclipse  of  the  sun: — When  a 
chief  magistrate  dies  and  is  not  mourned  over  with  the  due 


yo  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

lamentation ;  when  a  betrothed  damsel  calls  for  help  and  no 
one  comes  to  the  rescue;  when  the  people  commit  the 
sin  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah ;  and  when  brother  murders 
brother.  Succah,  fol.  29,  col.  1. 

8.  Four  things  cause  an  eclipse  among  the  luminaries 
of  heaven :  The  writing  of  false  documents ;  the  bearing 
false  witness  ;  the  breeding  of  small  cattle,  such  as  sheep 
and  goats,  in  the  land  of  Israel ;  and  the  cutting  down 
of  fruit-trees.  Ibid.,  fol.  29,  col.  1. 

9.  There  are  four  things  God  repents  of  having  created  : 
— The  Captivity,  the  Chaldeans,  the  Ishmaelites,  and  the 
evil  passion  in  man.  The  Captivity,  as  it  is  written  (Isa. 
lii.  5),  "  What  have  I  here,  saith  the  Lord,  that  my  people 
are  taken  away  for  nought  ? "  &c.  The  Chaldeans,  as  it  is 
written  (Isa.  xxiii.  13),  "Behold  the  land  of  the  Chal- 
deans :  this  people  was  not."  The  Ishmaelites,  as  it  is 
written  (Job  xii.  6),  "  The  tents  of  robbers  prosper,  and 
they  that  provoke  God  are  secure,  into  whose  hand  God 
bringeth  abundance."  The  evil  passion,  as  it  is  written 
(Micah  iv.  6),  "jn^nn  IBM,  "  And  whom  I  have  caused 

.to  be  evil."  Ibid.,  fol.  52,  col.  2. 


10.  There  have  been  four  beautiful  women  in  the  world  : 
— Sarah,  Abigail,  Bahab,  and  Esther. 

Meggillah,  fol.  15,  col.  1. 

Note. — (a.)  Tosephoth,  in  loco,  asks,  "Why  was  not  Eve 
numbered  among  these  beauties,  since  even  Sarah,  in 
comparison  with  Eve,  was  as  an  ape  compared  to  a 
man?"  The  reply  is,  "  Only  those  bom  of  woman  are 
here  enumerated. " 

(b)  In  fol.  13,  col.  1,  of  the  same  treatise  from  which  the 
above  is  quoted,  we  are  informed  by  Ben  Azai  that 
Esther  was  like  the  myrtle-tree,  neither  tall  nor  short 
statured,  but  middle-sized.  Babbi  Yehoslma  ben  Korcha 
states  that  Esther's  complexion  was  of  a  yellow  or  gold 
colour. 


CHAPTER  IV.  71 

1 1.  One  cup  of  wine  is  good  for  a  woman,  two  are  dis- 
graceful, three  demoralising,  and  four  brutalising. 

Kethuboth,  fol.  65,  col.  1. 

12.  He  who  traverses  so  much  sls/out  ells  in  the  land  of 
Israel  is  sure  of  everlasting  life.        Ibid.,  fol.  in,  col.  1. 

13.  To  walk  even  four  ells  without  bowing  the  head  is 
an  offence  to  Heaven ;  for  it  is  written  (Isa.  vi.  3),  "  The 
whole  earth  is  full  of  His  glory." 

Kiddushin,  fol.  31,  col.  1. 

14.  There  are  four  who  are  accounted  as  dead: — The 
pauper,  the  leper,  the  blind  man,  and  he  who  has  no  male 
children.  Nedarin,  fol.  64,  col.  2. 

15.  Four  things  mark  the  characters  of  men: — He  who 
says  what  is  mine  is  mine,  and  what  is  thine  is  thine,  is, 
according  to  some,  a  moderate  man,  but,  according  to 
others,  a  child  of  Sodom ;  he  who  says  what  is  mine  is 
thine,  and  what  is  thine  is  mine,  is  an  ignorant  man  (D# 
Y~ltf  H) ;  he  who  says  what  is  mine  is  thine  and  what  is 
thy  own  is  also  thine,  is  a  pious  man ;  he  who  says  mine 
and  thine  are  both  my  own,  is  a  wicked  man. 

Avoth,  chap.  5,  sec.  16. 

16.  There  are  four  kinds  of  men,  according  to  their 
degrees  of  passionateness : — He  who  is  easily  provoked 
and  as  readily  pacified,  and  who  loses  more  than  he  gains ; 
he  whom  it  is  difficult  to  rouse  and  as  difficult  to  appease, 
and  who  gains  more  than  he  loses ;  he  who  is  not  readily 
provoked,  but  easily  pacified,  who  is  a  pious  man  ;  he  who 
is  easily  provoked  and  with  difficulty  appeased,  who  is  a 
wicked  man.  Ibid.,  chap.  5,  sec.  19. 

17.  There  are  four  classes  of  men  who  give  alms,  and 
they  are  thus  distinguished :— He  who  is  willing  to  give, 
but  unwilling  that  others  should  do  so,  he  has  an  evil  eye 


72  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

towards  others ;  he  who  wishes  others  to  give,  but  does 
not  do  so  himself,  lie  has  an  evil  eye  towards  himself ; 
he  who  gives,  and  induces  others  to  give,  he  is  pious ;  he 
who  gives  not,  nor  wishes  others  to  give,  he  is  wicked. 

Avoth,  chap.  5,  sec.  19. 

1 8.  There  are  four  marks  by  which  one  disciple  differs 
from  another : — One  learns  and  does  not  teach,  one  teaches 
and  does  not  learn,  one  learns  and  teaches,  and  one  neither 
learns  nor  teaches.  Avoth  d'Rab.  Nathan,  chap.  29. 

19.  Four  things,  if  kept  in  view  and  gravely  pondered 
over,  deter  from  sin : — That  a  man  consider  whence  he 
cometh,  whither  he  goeth,  who  the  judge  will  be,  and  what 
the  future  will  bring  to  pass.  Derech  Eretz,  chap.  3. 

20.  What  is  the  meaning  of  that  which  is  written  (Ps. 
lxxxvii  2),  "  The  Lord  loveth  the  gates  of  Zion  more 
than  all  the  dwellings  of  Jacob  ? "  The  answer  is,  The 
Lord  loveth  the  gates  (robrQ  D^^l^Dil)  that  arc  marked 
with  the  Halachah  more  than  the  synagogues  and  the 
schools ;  and  this  agrees  with  what  Eabbi  Cheeya  bar 
Ami  has  said,  in  the  name  of  Ulla,  that  since  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Temple  nothing  else  has  remained  to  God  in 
His  world  hut  four  ells  of  the  Halachah. 

Berachoth,  fol.  8,  col.  1. 

Xote. — D'O^IVftn  is  an  example  of  what  is  a  very  common  pas- 
time of  the  Kabbis  of  a  play  upon  words.  The  word  jV^ 
in  Talmudic  Hebrew  means  a  mark,  and  the  allusion  is 
to  the  little  cells  or  rooms,  often  only  about  four  ells 
square,  set  apart  for  the  study  of  the  Halachoth.  These 
God  is  said  to  prefer  to  the  places  where  large  assemblies 
gather  to  study  the  Mishna,  or  even  the  Bible ;  as,  for 
instance,  rws^D  rnun  and  the  *p"n  rron 

21.  Whoso  walks  even  four  ells  with  a  proud  unbending 
gait  is  as  though  he  spurned  with  his  haughty  head  the 
feet  of  the  Shechinah ;  for  it  is  written  (Isa.  vi.  3),  "  The 
whole  earth  is  full  of  His  glory."         Ibid.,  fol.  43,  col.  2. 


CHAPTER  IV.  73 

22.  Four  are  in  duty  bound  to  return  thanks  to  God : — 
They  that  have  returned  from  a  voyage  at  sea  (Ps.  cvii. 
23,  24,  31) ;  those  who  have  travelled  in  the  desert  (verses 
4-8) ;  they  who  have  recovered  from  a  serious  illness 
(verses  17-21);  and  those  that  are  liberated  from  prison 
(verses  10-15).  Berachoth,  fol.  54,  col.  2. 

23.  If  one  does  not  walk,  say  four  cubits,  before  falling 
asleep  after  a  meal,  that  which  he  has  eaten,  being  un- 
digestible,  causes  foulness  of  breath. 

Shabbath,  fol.  41,  coL  1. 

24.  Four  have  died  in  consequence  of  the  seduction  of 
the  serpent: — Benjamin,  the  son  of  Jacob;  Amram,  the 
father  of  Moses ;  Jesse,  the  father  of  David ;  and  Chileab, 
the  son  of  David.  Ibid.,  fol.  55,  col.  2. 

Note. — These  four  are  reckoned  to  have  died  on  account  of 
original  sin,  and  not  solely  because  of  actual  transgres- 
sion, which,  says  Rashi,  they  never  committed. 

25.  The  traveller  who  is  overtaken  with  the  approach  of 
Sabbath-eve  before  he  has  completed  his  journey  should 
hand  over  his  purse  to  a  Gentile  to  carry ;  and  if  there  be 
no  Gentile  at  hand,  let  him  stow  it  away  on  his  ass.  As 
soon  as  the  nearest  halting-place  is  reached,  those  burdens 
which  may  be  lifted  on  the  Sabbath  should  then  be  removed, 
and  then  the  cords  should  be  slackened  that  the  rest  may 
slip  off  of  its  own  accord.  Ibid.,  fol.  153,  col.  1. 

Note.— Here  the  Gemara  very  graciously  appends  a  direction 
as  to  the  disposal  of  the  purse,  in  case  the  traveller  should 
happen  to  be  on  foot  and  have  no  Gentile  attendant.  He 
may  take  care  of  it  himself,  provided  he  halt  at  every 
other  step  and  deposit  it  on  the  ground,  for  at  least  a  dis- 
tance of  four  cubits. 

26.  A  master  is  bound  to  rehearse  a  lesson  to  his  pupil 
four  times.  Eiruvin,  fol.  54,  col.  2. 


74  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

27.  Alas  for  the  power  which  prepares  a  grave  for  its 
possessor,  for  there  is  not  a  prophet  who  hath  not  in  his 
lifetime  witnessed  the  decadence  of  four  kings ;  as  it  is 
said  (Isa.  i.  1),  "  The  vision  of  Isaiah  ...  in  the  days  of 
Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah,  kings  of  Judah  "  (see 
also  Hosea  i.  1).  Fsachim,  fol.  87,  col.  2. 

28.  Once  Eav  Papa  and  Eav  Hnnnah  partook  together 
of  a  common  meal,  and  as  the  latter  ate  only  one  morsel 
the  former  ate  four.  After  this,  when  Eav  Hnnnah  and 
Eavina  ate  together,  the  latter  devoured  eight  portions 
to  the  other's  one,  upon  which  Eav  Hunnah  jocularly 
remarked,  "  A  hundred  (Eav)  Papas  to  one  Eavina." 

Ibid.,  fol.  89,  col.  2. 

29.  No  food  may  be  eaten  on  Passover-eve  from  the 
time  of  the  offering  of  the  evening  sacrifice  (in  order,  i.e., 
that  abstinence  may  whet  the  appetite  for  the  Matsotlt). 
Even  the  poorest  in  Israel  may  not  break  his  fast  till  the 
hour  of  reclining;  nor  is  he  to  partake  of  less  than/o^r 
glasses  of  wine,  even  though  he  has  been  reduced  so  low 
as  to  subsist  on  the  porridge  doled  out  by  public  charity. 

Ibid.,  fol.  99,  col.  2. 

Xote. — The  four  cups  severally  commemorate  four  expressions 
made  use  of  in  connection  with  the  deliverance  from 
Egypt  (see  Exod.  vi.  67,  and  the  Hagadah  for  Pass- 
over) : — 

"I  will  bring  you,  I  will  rid  you,  I  will  redeem  you,  I  will 
take  you. " 

30.  There  are  four  things  the  doing  of  which  by  man 
brings  judgment  upon  his  own  head : — If  he  turn  in 
between  a  wall  and  a  date-palm ;  if  he  turn  in  between 
two  date-palms;  if  he  drink  borrowed  water;  and  if  he 
step  across  spilt  water,  such  even  as  his  own  wife  may 
have  thrown  away.  (All  these  doings,  says  Eashi,  are 
bound  to  annoy  the  evil  genii.)  Ibid.,  fol.  in,  col.  1. 


CHAPTER  IV.  75 

31.  Four  precepts  did  our  holy  Babbi  (Yehudali  Haka- 
dosh)  urge  upon  his  children : — Not  to  choose  Shechentzia  * 
as  a  dwelling-place,  for  scoffers  resided  there ;  not  to  use 
the  bed  of  a  Syrian  odalisque ;  not  to  shirk  the  payment 
of  fiscal  dues,  lest  the  collector  should  confiscate  all  their 
property;  not  to  face  an  ox  when  he  came  up  (ruffled) 
from  the  cane-brake,  for  Satan  sported  betwixt  his  horns. 

P'saehim,  fol.  112,  col.  2. 

32.  Whosoever  prieth  into  the  four  things  in  the  matter 
of  the  chariot  in  Ezekiel's  vision — what  is  above,  what  is 
beneath,  what  is  before,  or  what  is  behind — it  were  better 
for  him  if  he  had  never  been  born. 

Chaggigah,  fol.  11,  col.  2. 

Note. — The  mD"lD  ntPPDi  the-  work  or  matter  of  the  chariot, 
the  Rabbinic  term  for  the  Vision  of  Ezekiel,  ranks 
among  the  Arcana  Judaica,  which  are  not  to  be  told 
save  to  the  initiated. 

33.  Four  men  entered  Paradise — these  are  their  names  : 
— Ben  Azai,  Ben  Zoma,  Acher,  and  Eabbi  Akiva.  Eabbi 
Akiva  thus  warned  his  companions :  "  When  you  come 
across  pavements  of  pellucid  marble,  do  not  cry  out '  Water ! 
water ! '  for  it  is  said  (Ps.  ci.  7),  '  He  that  uttereth  false- 
hood shall  not  dwell  in  my  sight.' "  Ben  Azai  looked  and 
died;  concerning  him  the  Scripture  says  (Ps.  cxvi.  15), 
"  Precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the  death  of  his 
saints."  Ben  Zoma  looked  and  went  out  of  his  mind ;  of 
him  the  Scripture  says  (Prov.  xxv.  16),  "  Hast  thou  found 
honey  ?  eat  only  so  much  as  is  sufficient  for  thee,  lest  thou 
be  filled  therewith  and  vomit  it."  Acher  cut  the  plants. 
Only  Akiva  departed  in  peace.  Ibid.,  fol.  14,  col.  2. 

Note. — Rashi  explains  this  by  saying  these  men  went  up  to 
heaven ;  but  Maimonides  much  more  rationally  teaches 
that  the  Paradise  (d1"1B)  or  garden  here  is  merely  the 
retreat  of  profound  philosophic  meditation.     These  Jive 

*  Shechentzia  is  the  name  of  a  place  near  Nahardaa.     See  "La  Geogra- 
phic du  Talmud,"  by  Dr.  A.  Xeubauer,  p.  363. 


76  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

intuitions  were  technically  styled  the  DTISfl:— (i.)  To 
knoiv  that  there  is  a  God;  (2.)  to  ignore  every  other 
beside  Him;  (3.)  to  feel  His  unity ;  (4.)  to  love  His 
person.  ;  and  (5.)  to  stand  in  awe  of  His  Majesty  (see 
Yad  Hachaz.,  chap.  4,  sec.  19).  Deep  thought  in  these 
matters  was  spoken  of  by  the  Kabbis  as  promenading  in 
the  garden. 

34.  Four  times  a  year  is  the  world  subject  to  an  ordeal 
of  judgment : — At  Passover,  which  is  decisive  of  the  fruits 
of  the  field ;  at  Pentecost,  which  is  decisive  of  the  fruits 
of  the  garden  ;  at  the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  which  is  decisive 
in  respect  of  rain ;  on  New  Year's  Day,  when  all  who 
come  into  the  world  pass  before  the  Lord  like  sheep,  as 
it  is  said  (Ps.  xxxiii.  15),  "Who  formed  their  hearts 
together ;  who  understandeth  all  their  works." 

Rosh  Hashanah,  fol.  16,  col.  1. 

35.  There  are  four  varieties  of  cedar: — Erez,  Karthom, 
Etz-Shemen,  and  Berosh.  Ibid.,  fol.  23,  col.  1. 

36.  Ben  Kamzar  would  not  teach  the  art  of  writing, 
and  yet  it  is  related  of  him  that  he  could,  by  taking  four 
pens  between  his  fingers,  write  off  a  word  of  four  letters  at 
one  stroke.  Yoma,  fol.  38,  col.  2. 

37.  There  are  four  kinds  of  quails  : — Sichli,  Kibli, 
Pisyoni,  and  the  common  quail.  The  first  was  of  superior 
quality,  and  the  last  inferior.  Ibid.,  fol.  75,  col.  2. 

38.  A  man  may  obtain  forgiveness  after  the  third  trans- 
gression, but  if  he  repeat  the  offence  a  fourth  time,  he  is 
not  pardoned  again  ;  for  it  is  said  (Amos  ii.  4) ,  "  For  three 
transgressions  of  Judah,  and  for  four,  I  will  not  turn  away 
the  punishment  thereof ; "  and  again  (Job  xxxiii.  29),  "  Lo  ! 
all  these  things  doth  God  two  or  three  times  "  {and  so  in- 
ferentially  not  four  times)  "  with  man,  to  bring  back  his 
soul  from  the  pit."  Ibid.,  fol  86,  col.  2. 

39.  Yovfour  reasons  does  their  property  pass  out  of  the 


CHAPTER  IV.  77 

hands  of  the  avaricious : — Because  they  are  backward  in 
paying  the  wages  of  their  hired  servants;  because  they 
altogether  neglect  their  welfare;  because  they  shift  the 
yoke  from  themselves  and  lay  the  burden  upon  their 
neighbours  ;  and  because  of  pride,  which  is  of  itself  as  bad 
as  all  the  rest  put  together;  whereas  of  the  meek  it  is 
written  (Ps.  xxxvii.  n),  "The  meek  shall  inherit  the 
earth."  Succah,  fol.  29,  col.  2. 

40.  "And  the  Lord  showed  me  four  carpenters"  (Zech. 
i.  20).  Who  are  these  four  carpenters  ?  Eav  Chana  bar 
Bizna  says  that  Eabbi  Shimon  Chassida  said  they  were 
Messiah  the  son  of  David,  Messiah  the  son  of  Joseph, 
Elijah,  and  the  Priest  of  Eighteousness. 

Ibid.,  fol.  52,  col.  2. 

41.  No  Synagogue  is  to  be  sold  except  on  condition 
that  there  be  power  of  re-purchase.  These  are  the  words 
of  Eabbi  Meir ;  but  the  sages  say  it  may  be  sold  uncon- 
ditionally, except  in  these  four  particular  cases  :  that  it  be 
not  turned  into  a  bath-house,  a  tannery,  a  wash-house,  or 
a  laundry.  Meggillah,  fol.  27,  col.  2. 

42.  Eabbi  Yochanan  ben  Zachai  was  once  asked  by  his 
disciples  how  he  had  attained  such  length  of  days.  "  Never 
once,"  he  said,  "  in  my  life  Wt2  \T0J1ttf  »1  within  four  cubits 
of  a  place  where  prayer  is  offered ;  never  have  I  called  a 
person  by  a  wicked  name ;  nor  have  I  ever  failed  to  sanc- 
tify the  Sabbath  over  a  cup  of  wine.  Once  my  aged 
mother  sold  her  head-dress  to  buy  the  consecration  wine 
for  me."  Ibid.,  fol.  27,  col.  2. 

43.  When  a  sage  is  approaching,  one  should  rise  up 
before  he  gets  within  four  ells'  distance,  and  remain  stand- 
ing until  he  has  gone  as  far  past.  When  a  chief  magistrate 
is  about  to  pass,  one  must  rise  as  soon  as  he  comes  in 
sight,  and  not  resume  the  seat  until  he  has  passed  four 
ells.    When  a  prince  passes,  one  must  stand  up  whenever 


78  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

he  appears,  and  not  sit  down  again  until  the  prince  himself 
is  seated ;  for  it  is  said  (Exod.  xxxiii.  8),  "  All  the  people 
rose  up,  .  .  .  and  looked  after  Moses  until  he  was  gone 
into  the  tabernacle."  Kiddushin,  fol.  2>?»  c°l-  2- 

44.  When  Nero  came  to  the  Holy  Land,  he  tried  his 
fortune  by  belemnomancy  thus : — He  shot  an  arrow  east- 
ward, and  it  fell  upon  Jerusalem  ;  he  discharged  his  shafts 
towards  the  four  points  of  the  compass,  and  every  time 
they  fell  upon  Jerusalem.  After  this  he  met  a  Jewish 
boy,  and  said  unto  him,  "  Eepeat  to  me  the  text  thou  hast 
learned  to-day."  The  boy  repeated,  "  I  will  lay  my  ven- 
geance upon  Edom  (i.e.,  Eome)  by  the  hand  of  my  people 
Israel"  (Ezek.  xxv.  14).  Then  said  Nero,  "The  Holy  One 
— blessed  be  He  ! — has  determined  to  destroy  His  Temple 
and  then  avenge  Himself  on  the  agent  by  whom  its  ruin 
is  wrought."  Thereupon  Nero  fled  and  became  a  Jewish 
proselyte,  and  Eabbi  Meir  is  of  his  race. 

Gittin,  fol.  56,  col.  1. 

45.  They  whose  banquet  is  accompanied  with  four  kinds 
of  instruments  of  music  bring  five  calamities  on  the  world  ; 
as  it  is  said  (Isa.  v.  11-15),  "  Woe  unto  those  that  get  up 
early  in  the  morning,  that  they  may  run  after  strong 
drink ;  and  continue  until  late  at  night,  till  flushed  with 
wine.  And  the  harp  and  psaltery,  tambourine  and  flute, 
and  wine  are  at  their  carousals."         Soteh,  fol.  48,  col.  1. 

46.  Let  him  carry  the  purse,  and  halt  every  time  he 
accomplishes  less  than  four  cubits  forward. 

Shabbath,  fol.  153,  col.  1,  2. 

Note. — Rav  Yitzchak  here  explains  how  the  good  Jew, 
belated  on  Sabbath-eve,  may  carry  his  purse  himself, 
and  so  save  his  conscience.  The  traveller  is  to  halt  at 
about  every  other  step,  and  so  measure  off  the  journey  in 
four-cubit  stages. 

47.  Though  ever  since  the  destruction  of  the  Temple  the 
Sanhedrin  has  ceased  to  exist,  the  four  kinds  of  capital 


CHAPTER  IV.  79 

punishment  have  not  failed  to  assert  themselves.  If  a 
man  incurs  the  penalty  of  death  by  stoning,  he  is  in  the 
course  of  Providence  either  punished  by  a  fatal  fall  from 
a  roof  or  slain  by  some  beast  of  prey ;  if  he  has  exposed 
himself  to  the  penalty  of  death  by  burning,  it  happens 
that  he  is  either  burned  to  death  in  the  end  or  mortally 
stung  by  a  serpent ;  if  the  penalty  of  the  law  is  that  he 
should  be  beheaded  for  his  offence,  he  meets  his  death 
either  from  the  Government  officer  or  by  the  hand  of  an 
assassin ;  if  the  penalty  be  strangulation,  he  is  sure  to  be 
drowned  or  suffocated.  Sanhedrin,  foL  37,  col.  2. 

48.  When  a  person  is  in  a  state  of  apprehension  and 
cannot  make  out  the  cause  of  it  (the  star  that  presided  at 
his  birth  and  his  genii  know  all  about  it),  what  should  he 
do  ?  Let  him  jump  from  where  he  is  standing  four  cubits, 
or  else  let  him  repeat,  "  Hear,  0  Israel,"  &c.  (Deut.  vi. 
4) ;  or  if  the  place  be  unfit  for  the  repetition  of  Scripture, 
let  him  mutter  to  himself,  "  The  goat  at  the  butcher's  is 
fatter  than  me."  Ibid.,  fol.  94,  col.  1. 

49.  It  is  written  in  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  7,  "  A  carved 
image;"  and  again  it  is  written  in  verse  19,  "Graven 
images."  Eabbi  Yochanan  said,  "At  first  he  made  the 
image  with  one  face,  but  afterwards  he  made  it  with  four — 
four,  so  that  the  Shechinah  might  see  it  from  every  point, 
and  thus  be  exasperated."  Ibid.,  fol.  103,  col.  2. 

50.  Moses  uttered  four  judgments  upon  Israel,  but  four 
prophets  revoked  them: — (1.)  First  Moses  said  (Deut.  xxxiii. 
28),  "  Israel  then  shall  dwell  in  safety  alone;"  then  came 
Amos  and  set  it  aside  (Amos  vii.  5),  "Cease,  I  beseech 
thee,"  &c. ;  and  then  it  is  written  (verse  6),  "  This  shall  not 
be,  saith  the  Lord."  (2.)  First  Moses  said  (Deut.  xxviii. 
65),  "Among  these  nations  thou  shalt  find  no  ease;"  then 
came  Jeremiah  and  set  this  saying  aside  (Jer.  xxxi.  2), 
"  Even  Israel,  when  I  went  to  cause  him  to  rest."     (3.) 


So  A    TALMUD  1 'C  MISCELLANY. 

First  Moses  said  (Exod.  xxxiv.  7),  "  Visiting  the  iniquities 
of  the  fathers  upon  the  children ; "  then  came  Ezchiel  and 
set  this  aside  (Ezek.  xviii.  4),  "  The  soul  that  sinneth,  it 
shall  die."  (4.)  First  Moses  said  (Lev.  xxvi.  38),  "And 
ye  shall  perish  among  the  heathen;"  then  came  Isaiah 
and  reversed  this  (Isa.  xxvii.  13),  "And  it  shall  come  to 
pass  in  that  day  that  the  great  trumpet  shall  be  blown, 
and  they  shall  come  which  were  ready  to  perish." 

Maccotlt,  fol.  24,  col.  1. 

51.  When  Akavyah  ben  Mahalalel  appealed  to  four 
halachahs  contradicting  the  judgment  of  the  wise  on  a 
certain  important  point  of  law,  "  Retract,"  they  said,  "  and 
we  will  promote  thee  to  be  president  of  the  tribunal."  To 
which  he  replied,  "  I  would  rather  be  called  a  fool  all  the 
days  of  my  life  than  be  judged  wicked  for  one  hour  before 
Him  who  is  omnipresent."  Edioth,  chap.  5,  mish.  6. 

52.  Let  thy  house  be  open  wide  towards  the  south,  the 
east,  the  west,  and  the  north,  just  as  Job,  who  made  four 
entrances  to  his  house,  in  order  that  the  poor  might  find 
entrance  without  trouble  from  whatever  quarter  they 
might  come.  Avoth  dUiav  Nathan,  chap.  7. 

53.  Kabbah  once  saw  a  sea-monster  on  the  day  it  was 
brought  forth,  and  it  was  as  large  as  Mount  Tabor.  And 
how  large  is  Mount  Tabor  ?  Four  miles  *D*)3  WIN-  Its 
neck  was  three  miles  long,  and  where  it  laid  its  head  a 
mile  and  a  half.  Its  dung  choked  up  the  Jordan,  till,  as 
Kashi  says,  its  waters  washed  it  away. 

Bava  Bathra,  fol  73,  col. 2. 

54.  Shemuel  said,  "  We  know  remedies  for  all  maladies 
except  three : — That  induced  by  unripe  dates  on  an  empty 
stomach ;  that  induced  by  wearing  a  damp  linen  rope 
round  one's  loins ;  and  that  induced  by  falling  a  sleep 
after  meals  without  having  first  walked  a  distance  of  at 
least  four  cubits"  (see  23  supra). 

Bava  Metiia,  fol.  113,  col.  2. 


(    Si     ) 


CHAPTEE  V. 

THE  'FIVES'    OF   THE   TALMUD. 

1.  The  five  times  repeated  "  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul  " 
(Ps.  ciii.  civ.),  were  said  by  David  with  reference  both  to 
God  and  the  soul.  As  God  fills  the  whole  world,  so  does 
the  soul  fill  the  whole  body ;  as  God  sees  and  is  not  seen, 
so  the  soul  sees  and  is  not  seen;  as  God  nourishes  the 
whole  world,  so  does  the  soul  nourish  the  whole  body ;  as 
God  is  pure,  so  also  is  "the  soul  pure ;  as  God  dwelleth  in 
secret,  so  does  the  soul  dwell  in  secret.  Therefore  let  him 
who  possesses  these  five  properties  praise  Him  to  whom 
these  five  attributes  belong.  Berachoth,  fol.  10,  col.  i. 

2.  Five  things  have  in  them  a  sixtieth  part  of  five  other 
things : — Fire,  honey,  the  Sabbath,  sleep,  and  dreams.  Fire 
is  a  sixtieth  of  hell,  honey  a  sixtieth  of  manna,  the  Sab- 
bath a  sixtieth  of  the  rest  in  the  world  to  come,  sleep 
the  sixtieth  of  death,  and  a  dream  the  sixtieth  of  pro- 
phecy. Ibid,,  fol.  57,  col.  2. 

3.  There  are  five  weak  things  that  are  a  source  of  terror 
to  the  strong : — The  mosquito  is  a  terror  to  the  lion,  the 
gnat  is  a  terror  to  the  elephant,  the  ichneumon-fly  is  a 
terror  to  the  scorpion,  the  flycatcher  is  a  terror  to  the 
eagle,  and  the  stickleback  is  a  terror  to  the  leviathan.* 

Shabbath,  fol.  77,  col.  2. 

*  Dr.  Lewysohn  of  Worms  has  published  a  very  able  work  in  German  on 
the  Zoology  of  the  Talmud. 

F 


82  A  TALMUD IC  MISCELLANY. 

4.  These  five  should  be  killed  even  on  the  Sabbath : — ■ 
The  fly  of  Egypt,  the  wasp  of  Nineveh,  the  scorpion  of 
Hadabia,  the  serpent  of  the  land  of  Israel,  and  the  mad 
dog  anywhere  and  everywhere. 

Shabbath,  fol.  121,  col.  2. 

5.  Five  things  did  Canaan  teach  his  children: — To  love 
one  another,  to  perpetrate  robbery,  to  practise  wantonness, 
to  hate  their  masters,  and  not  to  speak  the  truth. 

P'sachim,  fol.  113,  col.  2. 

6.  Five  things  were  in  the  first  Temple  which  were  not 
in  the  second : — The  ark  and  its  cover,  with  the  cherubim ; 
the  fire ;  the  Shechinah ;  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  the  Urini 
and  Thummim.  Yoma,  fol.  21,  col.  2. 

7.  Five  things  are  said  respecting  the  mad  dog : — Its 
mouth  gapes  wide,  it  drops  its  saliva,  its  ears  hang  down, 
its  tail  is  curled  between  its  legs,  and  it  slinks  along 
the  side  of  the  road.  Eav  says  that  a  dog's  madness  is 
caused  by  witches  sporting  with  it.  Samuel  says  it  is 
because  an  evil  spirit  rests  upon  it.     Ibid.,  fol.  83,  col.  2. 

8.  When  a  man  has  betrothed  one  of  five  women,  and 
does  not  remember  which  of  the  five  it  is,  while  each  of 
them  claims  the  right  of  betrothment,  then  he  is  in 
duty  bound  to  give  to  each  a  bill  of  divorcement,  and  to 
distribute  the  dowry  due  to  one  among  them  all.  This 
decision  is  according  to  Eabbi  Tarphon,  but  Eabbi  Akiva 
holds  that  he  must  not  only  divorce  each,  but  give  to  each 
the  legal  dowry,  otherwise  he  fails  in  his  duty. 

Yevamoth,  fol.  118,  col.  2. 

9.  When  a  person  having  robbed  one  of  five  does  not 
remember  which  of  the  five  it  was  he  had  robbed,  and  each 
claims  to  have  been  the  victim  of  the  robbery,  then  he  is  to 
part  the  stolen  property  (or  the  value  of  it)  among  them 
all,  and  go  his  way.     So  says  Eabbi  Tarphon,  but  Eabbi 


CHAPTER   V.  83 

Akiva  argues  that  tlie  defaulter  does  not  in  this  way  fully 
exonerate  himself;  he  must  restore  to  each  and  all  the 
full  value  of  the  plunder.  Yevamoth,  fol.  118,  col.  2. 

10.  Five  things  are  said  concerning  garlic : — It  nourishes, 
it  glows  inwardly,  it  brightens  the  complexion,  it  increases 
virility,  and  kills  the  D"yD  ^iyv  DTD-  Some  say  that 
it  is  a  philtre  for  love,  and  that  it  exterminates  jealousy 
(see  No.  21  infra).  Bava  Kama,  fol.  82,  col.  1. 

Note. — Garlic  was  in  high  repute  in  Egypt,  where  the 
Israelites  may  have  learned  to  appreciate  it.  Dioscorides 
(Book  i.  p.  80)  says — 

"  The  gods  were  recommended  by  their  taste  ; 
Such  savoury  deities  must  needs  be  good 
Which  served  at  once  for  worship  and  for  food." 

Juvenal  makes  this  the  point  d'appui  of  one  of  his  sarcastic 
pieces  (Sat.  15) — 

"  How  Egypt,  mad  with  superstition  grown, 
Makes  gods  of  monsters,  but  too  well  is  known. 
'Tis  mortal  sin  an  onion  to  devour  ; 
Each  clove  of  garlic  has  a  sacred  poiver. 
Religious  nation,  sure  and  blest  abodes, 
Where  every  garden  is  o'errun  with  gods. " 

1 1.  Five  things  cause  forgetfulness  : — Partaking  of  what 
has  been  gnawed  by  a  mouse  or  a  cat,  eating  bullock's 
heart,  habitual  use  of  olives,  drinking  water  that  has  been 
washed  in,  and  placing  the  feet  one  upon  the  other  while 
bathing.  Horayoth,  fol.  13,  col.  2. 

12.  Five  things  restore  the  memory  again : — Bread  baked 
upon  coals,  soft-boiled  eggs  without  salt,  habitual  use  of 
olive  oil,  mulled  wine,  and  plenty  of  salt.  Ibid. 

13.  He  who  does  not  cheer  the  bridegroom  whose  wed- 
ding breakfast  he  has  enjoyed  transgresses  against  the  five 
voices  (mentioned  in  Jer.  xxxiii.  11) : — "  The  voice  of  joy, 
the  voice  of  gladness,  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom,  and  the 
voice  of  the  bride,  the  voice  of  them  that  shall  say  t  Praise 
ye  the  Lord  of  Hosts.' "  Berachoth,  fol.  6,  col.  2. 


84  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

14.  Mount  Sinai  had  five  names: — (1.)  Wilderness  of 
Zin,  because  on  it  the  Israelites  were  commanded  to  ob- 
serve the  law;  (2.)  Wilderness  of  Kadesh,  because  on  it 
the  Israelites  were  consecrated  to  receive  the  law;  (3.) 
Wilderness  of  Kedemoth,  because  precedence  was  there 
given  to  Israel  over  all  other  nations ;  (4.)  Wilderness  of 
Paran,  because  there  the  Israelites  were  fruitful  and 
multiplied;  (5.)  Wilderness  of  Sinai,  because  from  it 
enmity  came  to  be  cherished  to  the  Gentiles.  It  was 
denominated  Horeb  according  to  Rabbi  Abhu,  because 
from  it  came  down  destruction  to  the  Gentiles. 

Skabbath,  fol.  89,  cols.  1,  2. 

15.  Mar  (the  master)  has  said,  "From  dawn  to  the 
appearance  of  the  sun  is  five  miles"  (-lv*D>  from  Lat. 
mille  =  a  thousand,  that  is,  a  thousand  paces).  How  is 
this  proved?  It  is  written  (Gen.  xix.  15),  "When  the 
dawn  arose .  the  angels  hurried  Lot ; "  and  it  is  added 
(verse  25),  "The  sun  was  risen  upon  the  earth  when  Lot 
entered  into  Zoar."  And  Rabbi  Chanena  said,  "  I  myself 
have  seen  that  place,  and  the  distance  is  five  miles." 

Psachim,  fol.  93,  col.  2. 

16.  He  that  cooks  in  milk  the  ischiadic  sinew  (ntWil  TJ) 
on  an  annual  festival  is  to  be  scourged  five  times  forty 
stripes  save  one : — For  cooking  the  sinew,  for  eating  the 
sinew,  for  cooking  flesh  in  milk,  for  eating  flesh  cooked  in 
milk,  and  for  lighting  the  fire.  Baitza,  fol.  12,  col.  1. 

Note. — To  this  very  day  the  HEWn  TJ  is  extracted  from  the 
hind  quarters  of  all  animals  before  it  is  allowable  for  a 
Jew  to  eat  them.  This  operation,  in  popular  parlance,  is 
termed  porging. 

17.  The  mysteries  of  the  law  are  not  to  be  communi- 
cated except  to  those  who  possess  the  faculties  of  these 
five  in  combination  : — "  The  captain  of  fifty,  and  the  honour- 
able man,  and  the  counsellor,  and  the  cunning  artificer, 
and  the  eloquent  orator  "  (see  Isa.  iii.  3). 

Chaggigah,  fol.  13,  col.  1. 


CHAPTER  V.  85 

1 8.  "Captain  of  fifty."  This  should  be  read,  not  cap- 
tain of  fifty,  but  captain  oifive,  that  is,  such  as  knew  how 
to  manage  the  mi/I  ^Sin  rWDll,  the  five-fifths  of  the  law 
(or  Pentateuch).  Chaggigah,  fol.  14,  col.  1. 

19.  Five  characteristics  were  ascribed  to  the  fire  upon 
the  altar : — It  crouched  there  like  a  lion,  it  shone  as  the 
sun,  it  was  perceptible  to  the  touch,  it  consumed  liquids 
as  though  they  were  dry  materials,  it  caused  no  smoke. 

Yoma,  fol.  21,  col.  2. 

20.  How  is  it  that  the  word  "ODN1,  "And  I  will  be 
glorified,"  occurs  in  Hasf.  i.  8  without  the  letter  II,  and 
yet  it  is  read  n^GD^,  as  if  it  had  the  letter  H  ?  It  indi- 
cates the  absence  of  five  things  from  the  second  Temple 
which  were  to  be  found  in  the  first  (n  being  the  symbol 
that  stands  for  5).  (1.)  The  ark,  i.e.,  the  mercy-seat  of  the 
cherubim;  (2.)  the  fire  from  heaven  upon  the  altar;  (3.) 
the  visible  presence;  (4.)  the  Holy  Spirit  (of  prophecy, 
says  Eashi);  and  (5.)  the  Urim  and  Thummim.        Ibid. 

Note. — How  then,  it  may  be  asked,  if  these  five  tokens  of 
the  Divine  presence  and  favour  which  rendered  the  first 
Temple  so  glorious  were  wanting  in  the  second  could  it 
be  said  (Hag.  ii.  9),  "The  glory  of  this  latter  house 
shall  be  greater  than  of  the  former  "  ?  It  is  a  question 
which  it  is  natural  to  ask,  and  it  should  be  ingenuously 
answered.  Is  it  that  these  were  tending  to  usurp  the 
place  of  the  spiritual,  of  which  they  were  but  the  assur- 
ance and  the  symbol,  and  darken  rather  than  reveal  the 
eternal  reality  they  adumbrated  1 

21.  The  Israelites  relished  any  flavour  they  fancied  in 
the  manna  except  the  flavour  of  these  five  things  (men- 
tioned in  Num.  xi.  59) : — "  Cucumbers,  melons,  leeks, 
onions,  and  garlic"  (see  No.  10  supra). 

Ibid.,  fol.  75,  coL  1. 

Note. — The  reason  why  exception  was  made  with  regard  to 
the  five  things  enumerated  above  is  given  by  Eashi. 
"  Quia  ha>c  iliis  quae  mammis  infantes  nutrire  gravidisque 
solent,  detrimentosa  sunt." 


86  A   TALMUD1C  MISCELLANY. 

22.  Five  things  happened  to  our  forefathers  on  the 
17th  of  Tainniuz,  andjfe  on  the  9th  of  Ab.  On  the  17th 
of  Tamrnuz  (1.)  the  tables  of  the  covenant  were  broken; 
(2.)  the  daily  sacrifice  was  done  away  with;  (3.)  the  city 
walls  were  cleft  asunder ;  (4.)  Apostumes  burned  the  roll 
of  the  law,  (5.)  and  set  up  an  idol  in  the  temple.  On  the 
9th  of  Ab  (1.)  the  decree  was  uttered  that  our  ancestors 
should  not  enter  the  land  of  Canaan ;  both  the  (2.)  first 
and  the  (3.)  second  Temple  were  destroyed;  (4.)  Byther 
was  subjugated  and  (5.)  the  city  was  ploughed  up. 

Taanith,  fol.  26,  cols.  1,  2. 

23.  The  Eabbis  have  taught  where  it  is  we  learn  that  if 
one  has  Jive  sons  by  Jive  wives  he  is  bound  to  redeem  each 
and  all  of  them.  It  is  from  what  is  taught  in  Exod.  xxxiv. 
20,  where  it  is  said,  "  All  the  Jirstbom  of  thy  sons  shalt  thou 
redeem."  Kiddushin,  fol.  29,  col.  2. 

24.  If  Israel  had  not  sinned  they  would  have  had  no 
other  Scriptures  than  rmn  *ttfDin  nttfOT,  the  Jive-Jijths  oj 
the  law  (that  is,  the  Pentateuch)  and  the  book  of  Joshua, 
which  last  is  indispensable,  because  therein  is  recorded 
how  the  land  was  distributed  among  the  sons  of  Israel ; 
but  the  remainder  was  added,  "  Because  in  much  wisdom 
is  much  grief"  (Eccles.  i.  18).         Nedarim,  fol.  22,  col.  2. 

25.  "  If  a  man  steal  an  ox  or  a  sheep  and  kill  it  or  sell 
it,  Jive  oxen  shall  be  given  in  restitution  for  one  ox,  and  four 
sheep  for  one  sheep  "  (Exod.  xxii.  1).  From  this  observe 
the  value  put  upon  work.  Eor  the  loss  of  an  ox,  because 
it  involves  the  loss  of  labour,  the  owner  is  recompensed 
with  Jive  oxen ;  but  for  the  loss  of  a  sheep,  which  does  no 
work,  he  is  only  recompensed  with  four. 

Bava  Kama,  fol.  79,  col.  2. 

26.  "  And  Esau  came  from  the  field,  and  he  was  faint " 
(Gen.  xxv.  29).  Eabbi  Yochanan  said  that  wicked  man 
committed  on  that  day  Jive  transgressions : — He  committed 


CHAPTER  V.  87 

rape,  committed  murder,  denied  the  being  of  God,  denied 
the  resurrection  from  the  dead,  and  despised  the  birth- 
right. Bava  Bathra,  fol.  16,  col.  2. 

27.  There  are  five  celebrated  idolatrous  temples,  and 
these  are  the  names  of  them: — The  Temple  of  Bel  in 
Babylon,  the  Temple  of  Nebo  in  Chursi,  the  Temple  of 
Thretha  in  Maphog,  the  Temple  of  Zeripha  in  Askelon, 
and  the  Temple  of  Nashra  in  Arabia.  When  Rabbi  Dimmi 
came  from  Palestine  to  Babylon  he  said  there  were  others, 
viz.,  the  Temple  of  Yarid  in  Ainbechi,  and  that  of  Nad- 
bacha  in  Accho.  Avodah  Zarah,  fol.  11,  col.  2. 

28.  "And  they  also  transgressed  my  covenant,  which  I 
have  commanded  them ;  and  they  also  have  taken  of  the 
accursed  thing,  and  have  also  stolen,  and  dissembled  also, 
and  have  also  put  it  among  their  own  stuff"  (Josh.  vii.  1 1). 
Rav  Illaa  says,  in  the  name  of  Rav  Yehudah  ben  Mis- 
partha,  the  fivefold  repetition  of  the  particle  also  shows 
that  Achan  had  trespassed  against  all  the  five  books  of 
Moses.  The  same  Rabbi  further  adds  that  Achan  had 
obliterated  the  sign  of  the  covenant,  for  it  is  said  in 
relation  to  him,  "  And  they  have  also  transgressed  my 
covenant ; "  and  with  reference  to  circumcision,  "  He  hath 
broken  my  covenant."  SanJtedrin,  fol.  44,  col.  1. 

29.  He  who  eats  an  ant  is  flogged  five  times  with  forty 
stripes  save  one.  Jlfaccoth,  fol.  16,  col.  2. 

30.  Rabbi  Akiva  used  to  say  there  are  five  judgments 
on  record  each  of  twelve  months'  duration : — That  of  the 
deluge,  that  of  Job,  that  of  the  Egyptians,  that  of  Gog 
and  Magog,  and  that  of  the  wicked  in  hell.  This  last 
is  said  of  those  whose  demerits  outweigh  their  virtues, 
or  those  who  have  sinned  against  their  bodies. 

Edioth,  chap.  2,  mish.  10. 


88  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

31.  Five  possessions  hath  the  Holy  One — "blessed  be 
He  ! — purchased  for  Himself  in  this  world : — (1.)  The  law 
is  one  possession  (Prov.  viii.  22) ;  (2.)  Heaven  and  earth 
is  one  possession  (Isa.  lxvi.  1,  Ps.  civ.  24) ;  (3.)  Abraham 
is  one  possession  (Gen.  xiv.  9) ;  (4.)  Israel  is  one  possession 
(Exod.  xv.  16) ;  (5.)  the  Temple  is  one  possession,  as  it  is  said 
(Exod.  xv.  17),  "The  sanctuary,  0  Lord,  Thy  hands  have 
established."  And  it  is  also  said  (Ps.  lxxviii.  54),  "  And  He 
brought  them  to  the  border  of  His  sanctuary,  even  to  this 
mountain,  which  His  right  hand  had  purchased." 

Avoth,  chap.  6. 

32.  Eabbi  Akiva  says  he  who  marries  a  woman  not 
suited  to  him  violates  five  precepts  : — (1.)  Thou  shalt  not 
avenge ;  (2.)  thou  shalt  not  bear  a  grudge ;  (3  )  thou  shalt 
not  hate  thy  brother  in  thy  heart ;  (4.)  thou  shalt  love  thy 
neighbour  as  thyself;  (5.)  and  that  thy  brother  may  live 
with  thee.  For  if  he  hates  her  he  wishes  she  were  dead, 
and  thus  he  diminishes  the  population. 

Avoth  (VRab  Nathan,  chap.  26. 

33.  Five  have  no  forgiveness  of  sins: — (1.)  He  who 
keeps  on  sinning  and  repenting  alternately ;  (2.)  he  who 
sins  in  a  sinless  age;  (3.)  he  who  sins  on  purpose  to  repent; 
(4.)  he  who  causes  the  name  of  God  to  be  blasphemed. 
The  fifth  is  not  given  in  the  Talmud.         Ibid.,  chap.  39. 

34.  He  who  has  no  fringes  to  his  garment  transgresses 
five  positive  commands  (see  Num.  xv.  38,  &c. ;  Deut. 
xxii.  12).  Menachoth,  fol.  44,  col.  1. 

35.  A  learner  who,  after  five  years,  sees  no  profit  in 
studying,  will  never  see  it.  Eabbi  Yossi  says,  after  three 
years,  as  it  is  written  (Dan.  i.  4,  5),  "That  they  should  be 
taught  the  literature  and  the  language  of  the  Chaldeans," 
so  educating  them  in  three  years. 

Chullin,  fol.  24,  col.  1. 


CHAPTER  V.  89 

36.  Any  one  who  doetli  any  of  these  five  things  sinneth 
against  himself,  and  his  blood  is  upon  his  own  head : — 
He  that  (1.)  eats  garlic,  onions,  or  eggs  which  were  peeled 
the  night  before;  (2.)  or  drinks  water  drawn  over  night; 
(3.)  or  sleeps  all  night  in  a  burying-place ;  (4.)  or  pares 
his  nails  and  throws  the  cuttings  into  the  public  street ; 

(5.)  mioD  raroi  ui  rpDm.        mddak,  m.  17,  col.  1. 

37.  Eabbi  Yossi  said : — "  Never  once  in  all  my  life 
have  the  walls  of  my  house  seen  the  hem  of  my  shirt ; 
T)^2  m^JO  IPDJl  and  I  have  planted  five  cedars  (sons 
are  figuratively  so  termed,  see  Ps.  xcii.  12)  in  Israel — 
namely,  Kabbis  Ishmael,  Eliezar,  Chalafta,  Artilas,  and 
Menachem.  Never  once  in  my  life  have  I  spoken  of  my 
wife  by  any  other  name  than  house,  and  of  my  ox  by  any 
other  name  than  field.  In  all  my  life  I  have  never  once 
gazed  *b&  il^Da  Shabbath,  foL  118,  col.  2, 


(     9o    ) 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   '  SIXES  '    OF  THE   TALMUD. 

i.  Six  tilings  are  a  disgrace  to  a  disciple  of  the  wise : — 
To  walk  abroad  perfumed,  to  walk  alone  by  night,  to  wear 
old  clouted  shoes,  to  talk  with  a  woman  in  the  street,  to 
sit  at  table  with  illiterate  men,  and  to  be  late  at  the  syna- 
gogue. Some  add  to  these,  walking  with  a  proud  step  or 
a  haughty  gait.  Berachoth,  fol.  43,  col.  2. 

2.  A  soft-boiled  egg  is  better  than  six  ounces  of  fine 
flour.  Ibid.,  fol.  44,  col.  2. 

3.  Six  things  are  a  certain  cure  for  sickness: — Cabbage, 
beetroot,  water  distilled  from  dry  moss,  honey,  the  maw 
and  the  matrix  of  an  animal,  and  the  edge  of  the  liver. 

Ibid. 

4.  These  six  things  are  good  symptoms  in  an  invalid : — 
Sneezing,  perspiration,  evacuation,  seminal  emission,  sleep, 
and  dreaming.  Ibid.,  fol.  57,  col.  2. 

5.  Six  things  bear  interest  in  this  world  and  the  capital 
remaineth  in  the  world  to  come : — Hospitality  to  strangers, 
visiting  the  sick,  meditation  in  prayer,  early  attendance 
at  the  school  of  instruction,  the  training  of  sons  to  the 
study  of  the  law,  and  judging  charitably  of  one's  neigh- 
bours. Shabbath,  fol.  127,  col.  1. 

6.  There  are  six  sorts  of  tears,  three  good  and  three  bad : 
— Those  caused  by  smoke,  or  grief,  or  constipation  are 


CHAPTER  VI.  91 

bad ;  and  those  caused  by  fragrant  spices,  laughter,  and 
aromatic  herbs  are  good. 

Shabbath,  fol.  151,  col.  2;  fol.  152,  col.  1. 

7.  Six  things  are  said  respecting  the  illiterate  (D# 
IpNn) : — No  testimony  is  to  be  borne  to  them,  none  is 
to  be  accepted  from  them ;  no  secret  is  to  be  disclosed 
to  them;  they  are  not  to  be  appointed  guardians  over 
orphans,  nor  keepers  of  the  charity-box,  and  there  should 
be  no  fellowship  with  them  when  on  a  journey.  Some 
say  also  no  public  notice  is  to  be  given  of  their  lost 
property.  P'sachim,  fol.  49,  col.  2. 

Note. — p^n  »»]>,  here  rendered  "illiterate,"  are  described  in 
chap.  ii.  4  numb,  of  this  Miscellany.  The  expression 
means  literally  "  people  of  the  land,"  and  was,  there  is 
reason  to  believe,  originally  applied  to  the  primitive 
inhabitants  of  Canaan,  traces  of  whom  may  still  be 
found  among  the  fellahin  of  Syria.  They  appear,  like 
the  aboriginal  races  in  many  countries  of  Christendom 
in  relation  to  Christianity,  to  have  remained  generation 
after  generation  obdurately  inaccessible  to  Jewish  [ideas, 
and  so  to  have  given  name  to  the  ignorant  and  untaught 
generally.  This  circumstance  may  account  for  the  harsh- 
ness of  some  of  the  quotations  which  are  appended  in 
reference  to  them. 

(a.)  He  who  aspires  to  be  a  fellow  ("inn)  of  the 
learned  must  not  sell  fruit,  either  green  or  dry,  to  an 
illiterate  man,  nor  may  he  buy  fresh  fruit  of  him.  He 
must  not  be  the  guest  of  an  ignorant  man,  nor  receive 
such  an  one  as  his  guest.     (Demai,  chap.  2,  mish.  2.) 

(b.)  Our  Rabbis  teach,  Let  a  man  sell  all  that  he  has 
and  marry  the  daughter  of  a  DDn  TD^n  learned  man. 
If  he  cannot  find  the  daughter  of  a  learned  man,  let  him 
marry  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  great  men  of  his  day. 
If  he  does  not  find  such  a  one,  let  him  marry  the  daughter 
of  one  of  the  heads  of  the  congregation,  or,  failing  this, 
the  daughter  of  a  charity  collector,  or  even  the  daughter 
of  a  schoolmaster ;  but  let  him  not  marry  the  daughter 
of  an  pfc$n  nv  (i-e.,  an  illiterate  man),  for  the  unlearned 
are  an  abomination,  as  also  their  wives  and  their 
daughters.      (P'sachim,  fol.  49,  col.  2.) 

(c.)  It  is  said  that  Rabbi  (the  Holy)  teaches  that  it  is 
illegal  for  an  unlearned  man  to  eat  animal  food,  for  it  is 


A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

said  (Lev.  xi.  46),  "  This  is  the  law  of  the  beast  and  the 
fowl ; "  therefore  he  who  studies  the  law  may  eat  animal 
food,  but  he  who  does  not  study  the  law  may  not. 
Rabbi  Eliezar  said,  "It  is  lawful  to  split  open  the 
nostrils  of  an  unlearned  man,  even  on  the  Day  of  Atone- 
ment which  happens  to  fall  on  a  Sabbath."  To  which 
his  disciples  responded,  "  Rabbi,  say  rather  to  slaughter 
him."  He  replied,  "  Nay,  that  would  require  the  repeti- 
tion of  the  usual  benediction ;  but  in  tearing  open  his 
nostrils  no  benedictory  formula  is  needed."  Rabbi 
Eliezar  has  also  said,  "It  is  unlawful  to  travel  with 
such  a  one,  for  it  is  said  (Deut.  xxx.  20),  '  For  it  is  thy 
life  and  the  length  of  thy  days.'  The  unlearned  does 
not  ensure  his  own  life  (since  he  has  no  desire  to  study 
the  law,  which  would  prolong  life),  how  much  less  then 
will  he  regard  the  life  of  his  neighbour  1 "  Rabbi  Samuel, 
son  of  Nachman,  says  on  behalf  of  Rabbi  Yochanan, 
that  it  is  lawful  to  split  open  an  unlearned  man  like 
a  fish.  "  Aye,"  adds  Rabbi  Samuel,  "  and  that  from  his 
back."     (Ibid.,  fol.  49,  col.  2.) 

(d.)  Rav  Yehudah  says  it  is  good  to  eat  the  pulp  of  a 
pumpkin  with  beetroot  as  a  remedy,  also  the  essence  of 
hemp  seed  in  Babylonian  broth ;  but  it  is  not  lawful  to 
mention  this  in  the  presence  of  an  illiterate  man,  because 
he  might  derive  a  benefit  from  the  knowledge  not  meant 
for  him.     (Nedarim,  fol.  49,  col.  1.) 

(e.)  No  contribution  or  heave-offering  should  be  given 
to  an  ignorant  priest.     (Sanhedrin,  fol.  90,  col.  2.) 

(/)  No  boor  (1)2)  can  be  pious,  nor  an  ignorant  man 
(pKPt  Dy)  a  saint.      (Avoth,  chap.  2,  mish.  6.) 

(g)  Sleep  in  the  morning,  wine  at  mid-day,  the  idle 
talk  of  inexperienced  youth,  and  attending  the  conventi- 
cles of  the  ignorant  drive  a  man  out  of  the  world.  (Ibid., 
chap.  3,  mish.  16.) 

(h.)  Rabbi  Jonathan  says,  "  Where  do  we  learn  that  no 
present  is  to  be  made  to  an  ignorant  priest  ? "  In  2  Chron. 
xxxi.  4,  for  there  it  is  said  Hezekiah  "  commanded  that 
all  the  people  that  dwelt  in  Jerusalem  should  give  a 
portion  to  the  priests  and  to  the  Levites,  that  they  might 
be  strong  in  the  law  of  the  Lord."  He  who  firmly  lays 
hold  of  the  law  has  a  claim  to  a  portion,  otherwise  he 
has  none.     (Chullin,  fol.  130,  col.  2.) 

(i.)  The  aged,  if  ignorant,  grow  weaker  in  intellect  the 
older  they  become  in  years,  for  it  is  written  (Job  xii.  20), 
"  He  removeth  away  the  speech  of  the  trusty,  and  taketh 


CHAPTER   VI  93 

away  the  understanding  of  the  aged  "  But  it  is  not  so 
with  them  that  are  old  in  the  study  of  the  law,  for  the 
older  they  grow  the  more  thoughtful  they  become,  and 
the  wiser,  as  it  is  said  (Job  xii.  12),  "  With  the  ancient 
is  wisdom,  and  in  length  of  days  understanding." 
(Kinnvn,  chap.  3.) 

(j.)  The  salutation  of  the  ignorant  should  be  responded 
to  quietly,  and  with  a  reluctant  nod  of  the  head. 
(Taanith,  foL  14,  col.  2.) 

(h)  No  calamities  ever  befall  the  world  except  such 
as  are  brought  on  by  the  ignorant.  (Bava  Bathra,  fol.  8, 
col.  1.) 

{I.)  Rav  Hunna's  widow  once  appeared  before  Rav 
Nachman  as  plaintiff  in  a  lawsuit.  "  What  shall  I  do  1 " 
he  said.  "If  I  rise  before  her  (to  honour  her  as  the 
widow  of  a  Rabbi),  the  defendant,  who  is  an  amhaaretz, 
will  feel  uneasy ;  and  if  I  don't  rise  I  shall  break  the 
rule  which  ordains  that  the  wife  of  an  associate  is  to  be 
treated  as  an  associate."  So  he  said  to  his  servant, 
"  Loose  a  young  goose  over  my  head,  then  I'll  get  up." 

Rav  bar  Sheravyah  had  a  lawsuit  with  an  amhaaretz 
before  Rav  Pappa,  who  bade  him  be  seated,  and  also 
asked  the  other  to  sit  down.  When  the  officer  of  the 
court  raised  the  amhaaretz  with  a  kick,  fVDpltfl  n"Q  CD3, 
the  magistrate  did  not  request  him  to  be  seated  again. 
(Shevuoth,  fol.  30,  col.  2.) 

8.  Six  things  are  said  respecting  demons.  In  three  par- 
ticulars they  are  like  angels,  and  in  three  they  resemble 
men.  They  have  wings  like  angels ;  like  angels  they  fly 
from  one  end  of  the  world  to  the  other,  and  they  know  the 
future,  as  angels  do,  with  this  difference,  that  they  learn 
by  listening  behind  the  veil  what  angels  have  revealed  to 
them  within.  In  three  respects  they  resemble  men.  They 
eat  and  drink  like  men,  they  beget  and  increase  like  men, 
and  like  men  they  die.  Chaggigah,  fol.  16,  coL  1. 

Note. — The  Talmud  is  particularly  rich  in  demonology,  and 
many  are  the  forms  which  the  evil  principle  assumes  in 
its  pages.  We  have  no  wish  to  drag  these  shapes  to  the 
light,  and  interrogate  them  as  to  the  part  they  play  in 
this  intricate  life.  Enough  now  if  we  mention  the  cir- 
cumstance of  their  existence,  and  introduce  to  the  reader 
the  story  of  Ashmedai,  the  king  of  the  demons.     The 


94  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

.story  is  worth  relating,  both  for  its  own  sake  and  its 
historical  significance. 

In  Ecclesiastics  ii.  8,  we  read,  "  I  gat  me  men  singers 
and  women  singers,  the  delights  of  the  sons  of  men,  as 
musical  instruments,  and  that  of  all  sorts"  These  last 
seven  words  represent  only  two  in  the  original  Hebrew, 
nnt?1  mc,  Shiddah-vesliiddoth.  These  two  words  in 
the  original  Hebrew  translated  by  the  last  seven  in 
this  verse,  have  been  a  source  of  great  perplexity  to 
the  critics,  and  their  exact  meaning  is  matter  of  debate 
to  this  hour.  They  in  the  West  say  they  mean  severally 
carriages  for  lords  and  carriages  for  ladies,  while  we, 
says  the  Babylonish  Talmud,  interpret  them  to  signify 
male  demons  and  female  demons.  Whereupon,  if  this 
last  is  the  correct  rendering,  the  question  arises,  for 
what  purpose  Solomon  required  them?  The  answer 
is  to  be  found  in  i  Kings  vi.  7,  where  it  is  written, 
"  And  the  house,  when  it  was  in  building,  was  built  of 
stone  made  ready  before  it  was  brought  thither,"  &c. 
For  before  the  operation  commenced  Solomon  asked  the 
Rabbis,  "  How  shall  I  accomplish  this  without  using 
tools  of  iron  ? "  and  they  remembering  of  an  insect  which 
had  existed  since  the  creation  of  the  world,  whose  powers 
were  such  as  the  hardest  substances  could  not  resist, 
replied,  "  There  is  the  Shameer,  with  which  Moses  cut  the 
precious  stones  of  the  Ephod."  Solomon  asked,  "  And 
where,  pray,  is  the  Shameer  to  be  found  1 "  To  which 
they  made  answer,  "  priTd  7YV&  WK,  Let  a  male  demon 
and  a  female  come,  and  do  thou  coerce  them  both ;  may- 
hap they  know  and  will  reveal  it  to  thee. "  He  then 
conjured  into  his  presence  a  male  and  a  female  demon, 
and  proceeded  to  torture  them,  but  in  vain,  for  said  they, 
"  We  know  not  its  whereabouts  and  cannot  tell ;  perhaps 
Ashmedai,  the  king  of  the  demons,  knows."  On  being 
further  interrogated  as  to  where  he  in  turn  might  be 
found,  they  made  this  answer :  "  In  yonder  mount  is 
his  residence ;  there  he  has  dug  a  pit,  and,  after  rilling 
it  with  water,  covered  it  over  with  a  stone,  and  sealed 
with  his  own  seal.  Daily  he  ascends  to  heaven  and 
studies  in  the  school  of  wisdom  there,  then  he  comes 
down  and  studies  in  the  school  of  wisdom  here ;  upon 
which  he  goes  and  examines  the  seal,  then  opens  the  pit, 
and  after  quenching  his  thirst,  covers  it  up  again,  re-seals 
it,  and  takes  his  departure. ' 

Solomon  thereupon  sent  Benaiah,  the  son  of  Jehoiada, 


CHAPTER  VI.  95 

provided  with  a  magic  chain  and  ring,  upon  both  of 
which  the  name  of  God  was  engraved.  He  also  provided 
him  with  a  fleece  of  wool  and  sundry  skins  with  wine. 
Then  Benaiah  went  and  sank  a  pit  below  that  of 
Ashmedai,  into  which  he  drained  off  the  water  and 
plugged  the  duct  between  with  the  fleece.  Then  he  set 
to  and  dug  another  hole  higher  up  with  a  channel  leading 
into  the  emptied  pit  of  Ashmedai,  by  means  of  which 
the  pit  was  filled  with  the  wine  he  had  brought.  After 
levelling  the  ground  so  as  not  to  rouse  suspicion,  he 
withdrew  to  a  tree  close  by,  so  as  to  watch  the  result 
and  wait  his  opportunity.  After  a  while  Ashmedai 
came,  and  examined  the  seal,  when,  seeing  it  all  right, 
lie  raised  the  stone,  and  to  his  surprise  found  wine  in 
the  pit.  For  a  time  he  stood  muttering  and  saying,  it 
is  written,  "  Wine  is  a  mocker :  strong  drink  is  raging, 
and  whosoever  is  deceived  thereby  is  not  wise."  And 
again,  "  Whoredom  and  wine  and  new  wine  take  away 
the  heart."  Therefore  at  first  he  was  unwilling  to 
drink,  but  being  thirsty,  he  could  not  long  resist  the 
temptation.  He  proceeded  to  drink  therefore,  when,  be- 
coming intoxicated,  he  lay  down  to  sleep.  Then  Benaiah 
came  forth  from  his  ambush,  and  stealthily  approaching, 
fastened  the  chain  round  the  sleeper's  neck.  Ashmedai, 
when  he  awoke,  began  to  fret  and  fume,  and  would 
have  torn  on  the  chain  that  bound  him,  had  not  Benaiah 
warned  him,  saying,  "  The  name  of  thy  Lord  is  upon 
thee."  Having  thus  secured  him,  Benaiah  proceeded  to 
lead  him  away  to  his  sovereign  master.  As  they  jour- 
neyed along  they  came  to  a  palm-tree,  against  which 
Ashmedai  rubbed  himself,  until  he  uprooted  it  and  threw 
it  down.  When  they  drew  near  to  a  hut,  the  poor 
widow  who  inhabited  it  came  out  and  entreated  him  not 
to  rub  himself  against  it,  upon  which,  as  he  suddenly 
bent  himself  back,  he  snapt  a  bone  of  his  body,  and 
said,  "This  is  that  which  is  written  (Prov.  xxv.  15), 
*  And  a  gentle  answer  breaketh  the  bone.' "  Descrying 
a  blind  man  straying  out  of  his  way,  he  hailed  him  and 
directed  him  aright.  He  even  did  the  same  service  to 
a  man  overcome  with  wine,  who  was  in  a  similar  predica- 
ment. At  sight  of  a  wedding  party  that  passed  rejoicing 
along,  he  wept ;  but  he  burst  into  uncontrollable  laughter 
when  he  heard  a  man  order  at  a  shoemaker's  stall  a  pair 
of  shoes  that  would  last  seven  years ;  and  when  he  saw 
a  magician  at  liis  work  he  broke  forth  into  shrieks  of 
scorn. 


96  A   TALMUD  I C  MISCELLANY. 

On  arriving  at  the  royal  city,  three  days  were  allowed 
to  pass  before  he  was  introduced  to  Solomon.  On  the 
first  day  he  said,  "  Why  does  the  king  not  invite  me 
into  his  presence?"  "He  has  drunk  too  much,"  was 
the  answer,  "and  the  wine  has  overpowered  him." 
Upon  which  he  lifted  a  brick  and  placed  it  upon  the 
top  of  another.  When  this  was  communicated  to  Solo- 
mon, he  replied,  "  He  meant  by  this,  go  and  make  him 
drunk  again."  On  the  day  following  he  asked  again, 
"  Why  does  the  king  not  invite  me  into  his  presence  % " 
They  replied,  "He  has  eaten  too  much."  On  this  he 
removed  the  brick  again  from  the  top  of  the  other. 
When  this  was  reported  to  the  king,  he  interpreted  it  to 
mean,  "  Stint  him  in  his  food." 

After  the  third  day,  he  was  introduced  to  the  king ; 
when  measuring  off  four  cubits  upon  the  floor  with  the 
stick  he  held  in  his  hand,  he  said  to  Solomon,  "  When 
thou  diest,  thou  wilt  not  possess  in  this  world  (he 
referred  to  the  grave)  more  than  four  cubits  of  earth. 
Meanwhile  thou  hast  conquered  the  world,  yet  thou 
wert  not  satisfied  until  thou  hadst  overcome  me  also." 
To  this  the  king  quietly  replied,  "I  want  nothing  of 
thee,  but  I  wish  to  build  the  Temple  and  have  need  of 
the  Shameer."  To  which  Ashmedai  at  once  answered, 
"  The  Shameer  is  not  committed  in  charge  to  me,  but  to 
the  Prince  of  the  Sea,  and  he  intrusts  it  to  no  one 
except  to  the  great  wild  cock,  and  that  upon  an  oath  that 
he  return  it  to  him  again."  Whereupon  Solomon  asked, 
"  And  what  does  the  wild  cock  do  with  the  Shameer?" 
To  which  the  demon  replied,  "  He  takes  it  to  a  barren 
rocky  mountain,  and  by  means  of  it  he  cleaves  the 
mountain  asunder,  into  the  cleft  of  which,  formed  into 
a  valley,  he  drops  the  seeds  of  various  plants  and  trees, 
and  thus  the  place  becomes  clothed  with  verdure  and  fit 
for  habitation."  This  is  the  Shameer  (Lev.  xi.  19), 
KTitt  TM,  Nagger  Tura,  which  the  Targum  renders  Moun- 
tain Splitter. 

They  therefore  searched  for  the  nest  of  the  wild  cock, 
which  they  found  contained  a  young  brood.  This  they 
covered  with  a  glass,  that  the  bird  might  see  its  young, 
but  not  be  able  to  get  at  them.  When  accordingly  the 
bird  came  and  found  his  nest  impenetrably  glazed  over, 
he  went  and  fetched  the  Shameer.  Just  as  he  was 
about  to  apply  it  to  the  glass  in  order  to  cut  it,  Solomon's 
messenger  gave  a  startling  shout,  and  this  so  agitated  the 


CHAPTER  VL 


97 


bird  that  he  dropped  the  Shameer,  and  Solomon's  mes- 
senger caught  it  up  and  made  off  with  it.  The  cock 
thereupon  went  and  strangled  himself,  because  he  was 
unable  to  keep  the  oath  by  which  he  had  bound  himself 
to  return  the  Shameer. 

Benaiah  asked  Ashmedai  why,  when  he  saw  the 
blind  man  straying,  he  so  promptly  interfered  to  guide 
him?  "Because,"  he  replied,  "it  was  proclaimed  in 
heaven  that  that  man  was  perfectly  righteous,  and  that 
whosoever  did  him  a  good  turn  would  earn  a  title  to  a 
place  in  the  world  of  the  future."  "  And  when  thou 
sawest  the  man  overcome  with  wine  wandering  out  of 
his  way,  why  didst  thou  put  him  right  again  ? "  Ash- 
medai said,  "  Because  it  was  made  known  in  heaven 
that  that  man  was  thoroughly  bad,  and  I  have  done  him 
a  good  service  that  he  might  not  lose  all,  but  receive 
some  good  in  the  world  that  now  is."  "  Well,  and  why 
didst  thou  weep  when  thou  sawest  the  merry  wedding- 
party  pass  ? "  "  Because,"  said  he,  "  the  bridegroom  was 
fated  to  die  within  thirty  days  and  the  bride  must  needs 
wait  thirteen  years  for  her  husband's  brother,  who  is 
now  but  an  infant"  (see  Deut.  xxv.  5-10).  "Why 
didst  thou  laugh  so  when  the  man  ordered  a  pair  of 
shoes  that  would  last  him  seven  years?"  Ashmedai 
replied,  "  Because  the  man  himself  was  not  sure  of  living 
seven  days."  "  And  why,"  asked  Benaiah,  "  didst  thou 
jeer  when  thou  sawest  the  conjuror  at  his  tricks?" 
"Because,"  said  Ashmedai,  "the  man  was  at  that  very 
time  sitting  on  a  princely  treasure,  and  he  did  not,  with 
all  his  pretension,  know  that  it  was  under  him." 

Having  once  acquired  a  power  over  Ashmedai,  Solo- 
mon detained  him  till  the  building  of  the  Temple  was 
completed.  One  day  after  this,  when  they  were  alone, 
it  is  related  that  Solomon,  addressing  him,  asked  him, 
"  What,  pray,  is  your  superiority  over  us,  if  it  be  true, 
as  it  is  written  (Num.  xxiii.  22),  'He  has  the  strength 
of  a  unicorn,'  and  the  word  'strength,'  as  tradition 
alleges,  means  ' ministering  angels,'  and  the  word  'uni- 
corn' means  'devils'?"  Ashmedai  replied,  "  Just  take 
this  chain  from  my  neck,  and  give  me  thy  signet- 
ring,  and  I'll  soon  show  thee  my  superiority."  No 
sooner  did  Solomon  comply  with  this  request,  than  Ash- 
medai, snatching  him  up,  swallowed  him ;  then  stretch- 
ing forth  his  wings — one  touching  the  heaven  and  the 
other  the  earth — he  vomited  him  out  again  to  a  distance 


98  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

of  four  hundred  miles.  It  is  with  reference  to  this  time 
that  Solomon  says  (EccL  i.  3  ;  ii.  1  o),  "  What  profit  hath 
a  man  of  all  his  labour  which  he  taketh  under  the  sun  ? 
This  is  my  portion  of  all  my  labour."  What  does 
the  word  this  mean  ?  Upon  this  point  Rav  and  Samuel 
are  at  variance,  for  the  one  says  it  means  his  staff,  the 
other  holds  that  it  means  his  garment  or  icater-jug  ; 
and  that  with  one  or  other  Solomon  went  about  from 
door  to  door  begging;  and  wherever  he  came  he  said 
(Eccl.  i.  12),  "I,  the  preacher,  was  king  over  Israel  in 
Jerusalem."  When  in  his  wanderings  he  came  to  the 
house  of  the  Sanhedrin,  the  Rabbis  reasoned  and  said, 
if  he  were  mad  he  would  not  keep  repeating  the  same 
thing  over  and  over  again ;  therefore  what  does  he 
mean  1  They  therefore  inquired  of  Benaiah,  "  Does  the 
king  ask  thee  into  his  presence  1 "  He  replied,  "  No  ! " 
They  then  sent  to  see  whether  the  king  visited  the 
hareem.  And  the  answer  to  this  was,  "Yes,  he  comes." 
Then  the  Rabbis  sent  word  back  that  they  should  look 
at  his  feet,  for  the  devil's  feet  are  like  those  of  a  cock. 
The  reply  was,  "He  comes  to  us  in  stockings."  Upon  this 
information  the  Rabbis  escorted  Solomon  back  to  the 
palace,  and  restored  to  him  the  chain  and  the  ring,  on 
both  of  which  the  name  of  God  was  engraven.  Arrayed 
with  these,  Solomon  advanced  straightway  into  the 
presence-chamber.  Ashmedai  sat  at  that  moment  on 
the  throne,  but  as  soon  as  he  saw  Solomon  enter,  he 
took  fright,  and  raising  his  wings,  flew  away,  shrieking 
back  into  invisibility.  In  spite  of  this,  Solomon  con- 
tinued in  great  fear  of  him  ;  and  this  explains  that  which 
is  written  (Song  of  Songs,  iii.  7,  8),  "Behold  the  bed 
which  is  Solomon's  ;  threescore  valiant  men  are  about  it, 
of  the  valiant  of  Israel ;  they  all  hold  swords,  being 
expert  in  war ;  every  man  has  his  sword  upon  his  thigh, 
because  of  fear  in  the  night."  (See  Gittin,  fol.  68, 
cols.  1,  2.) 

Note. — Ashmedai,  »K1£B>K,  is  the  Asmodeus  ('Acpodu/o;) 
of  the  Book  of  Tobit,  iii.  8,  vi.  14,  &c.  The 
Shameer,  TDB>,  is  mentioned  in  Jer.  xvii.  1  ;  Ezek. 
iii.  9 ;  Zech.  vii.  1 2.  The  Seventy  in  the  former 
passage  and  the  Vulgate  passim  take  it  for  the 
diamond.  It  is  possibly  allied  to  our  word  emery 
(Greek,  tffihtg  or  6(j.i>zi;). 

9.  Six  things  are  said  respecting  the  children  of  men, 


CHAPTER  VI.  99 

in  three  of  which  they  are  like  angels,  and  in  three  they 
are  like  animals.  They  have  intelligence  like  angels, 
they  walk  erect  like  angels,  and  they  converse  in  the  holy 
tongue  like  angels.  They  eat  and  drink  like  animals,  they 
generate  and  multiply  like  animals,  and  they  relieve  nature 
like  animals.  Chaggvjah,  fol.  16,  col.  i. 

io.  Six  months  did  the  Shechinah  hesitate  to  depart 
from  the  midst  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  in  hopes  that 
they  would  repent.  At  last,  when  they  persisted  in  im- 
penitence, the  Shechinah  said,  "  May  their  bones  he 
blown  ; "  as  it  is  written  (Job  xi.  20),  "  The  eyes  of  the 
wicked  shall  fail,  they  shall  not  escape,  and  their  hopes 
shall  be  as  the  blowing  oat  of  the  spirit." 

llosh  Hashanah,  fol.  31,  col.  1. 

1 1.  Six  names  were  given  to  Solomon : — Solomon,  Jedi- 
diah,  Koheleth,  Son  of  Jakeh,  Agar,  and  Lemuel. 

Avoth  d'Bab  Nathan,  chap.  39. 

12.  Six  years  old  was  Dinah  when  she  gave  birth  to 
Asenath,  whom  she  bore  unto  Shechem. 

Sophrim,  chap.  21. 

13.  "And  the  Lord  blessed  Obed-edom  and  all  his 
household"  (2  Sam.  vi.  11).  In  what  did  the  blessing 
consist  ?  Eav  Yehudah  bar  Zavidah  says  it  consisted  in 
this,  that  Hamoth,  his  wife,  and  her  eight  daughters-in- 
law  gave  birth  each  to  six  children  at  a  time,  ntTO  MTV 
"iriN  D"D3.     (This  is  proved  from  1  Chron.  xxvi.  5,  8.) 

Berachoth,  fol.  63,  col.  2. 

14.  Six  things  were  done  by  Hezekiah  the  king,  but 
the  sages  praised  him  for  three  only: — (1.)  He  dragged 
the  bones  of  his  father  Ahaz  on  a  hurdle  of  ropes,  for  this 
they  commended  him ;  (2.)  he  broke  to  pieces  the  Irazen 
serpent,  for  this  they  commended  him;  (3.)  he  hid  the 
<m^S~l  ")SD,  Book  of  Remedies,  and  for  this  too  they  praised 
him.     For  three  they  blamed  him: — (1.)  He  stripped  the 


ioo  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

doors  of  the  Temple  and  sent  the  gold  thereof  to  the  King 
of  Assyria;  (2.)  he  stopped  up  the  upper  aqueduct  of 
Gihon ;  (3.)  he  intercalated  the  month  Nisan. 

P'sachim,  fol.  56,  coL  1. 

Note. — The  hiding  of  the  Book  of  Remedies,  harsh  and 
inhuman  as  it  might  seem,  was  dictated  hy  high  moral 
considerations.  It  seemed  right  that  the  transgressor 
should  feel  the  weight  of  his  sin  in  the  suffering  that 
followed,  and  that  the  edge  of  judgment  should  not  he 
dulled  by  a  too  easy  access  to  anodyne  applications.  The 
reason  for  stopping  the  aqueduct  of  Gihon  is  given  in 
2  Chron.  xxxii.  3,  4.  The  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  did 
the  very  same  thing  when  the  Crusaders  besieged  the 
city,  a.d.  1099.  Rashi  tries  to  explain  why  this  strata- 
gem was  not  commended;  the  reason  he  gives  is  that 
Hezekiah  ought  to  have  trusted  God,  who  had  said 
(2  Kings  xix.  34),  "  I  will  defend  the  city." 

15.  Six  things  are  said  of  the  horse: — It  is  wanton,  it 
delights  in  the  strife  of  war,  it  is  high-spirited,  it  despises 
sleep,  it  eats  much  and  it  voids  little.  There  are  some  that 
say  it  would  fain  kill  its  own  master. 

Ibid.,  fol.  113,  col.  2. 

16.  The  Rabbis  have  taught  that  there  are  six  sorts  of 
fire: — (1.)  Fire  that  eats  but  drinks  not,  i.e.,  common  fire ; 
(2.)  fire  that  drinks  but  does  not  eat,  i.e.,  a  fever ;  (3.)  fire 
that  eats  and  drinks,  i.e.,  Elijah,  as  it  is  written  (1  Kings 
xviii.  38),  "  And  licked  up  the  water  that  wras  in  the 
trench ; "  (4.)  fire  that  burns  up  moist  things  as  soon  as 
dry,  i.e.,  the  fire  on  the  altar;  (5.)  fire  that  counteracts 
other  fire,  i.e., like  that  of  Gabriel;  (6.)  fire  that  consumes 
fire,  for  the  Master  has  said  (Sanhed.,  fol.  38,  col.  2), 
"God  stretched  out  His  finger  among  the  angels  and  con- 
sumed them,"  i.e.,  by  His  own  essential  fire. 

Yoma,  fol.  21,  col.  2. 

17.  For  six  months  David  was  afflicted  with  leprosy; 
for  it  is  said  (Ps.  li.  7),  "  Purge  me  with  hyssop,  and  I  shall 
be  clean ;  wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow."  * 

*  The  use  of  hyssop  is  prescribed  only  in  declaring  a  leper  healed. 


CHAPTER  VI.  101 

At  that  time  the  Shechinah  departed  from  him ;  for  it  is 
said  (Ps.  li.  12),  "  Restore  unto  me  the  joy  of  Thy  salva- 
tion;" and  the  Sanhedrin  kept  aloof  from  him,  for  it  is 
said  (Ps.  cxix.  79),  "  Let  those  that  fear  thee  turn  unto 
me."  That  this  ailment  lasted  six  months  is  proved  from 
1  Kings  ii.  1 1,  where  it  is  said,  "  And  the  days  that  David 
reigned  over  Israel  were  forty  years ;  seven  years  he  reigned 
in  Hebron,  and  thirty-three  years  he  reigned  in  Jerusa- 
lem ;"  whereas  in  2  Sam.  v.  5  it  is  said,  "  In  Hebron  he 
reigned  over  Judah  seven  years  and  six  months."  The 
reason  why  these  six  months  are  omitted  in  Kings  is 
because  during  that  period  he  was  afflicted  with  leprosy. 

Sanhedrin,  fol.  107,  col.  1. 

1 8.  The  tables  of  stone  were  six  ells  long,  six  broad,  and 
three  thick.  Nedarim,  fol.  38,  col.  8. 

Note. — It  may  perhaps  help  the  reader  to  some  idea  of  the 
strength  of  Moses  if  we  work  out  arithmetically  the  size 
and  probable  weight  of  these  stone  slabs  according  to  the 
Talmud.  Taking  the  nDK,  cubit  or  ell,  at  its  lowest 
estimate,  that  is  eighteen  inches,  each  slab,  being  nine 
feet  long,  nine  feet  wide,  and  four  and  a  half  feet  thick, 
would  weigh  upwards  of  twenty-eight  tons,  reckoning 
tJdrteen  cubic  feet  to  the  ton, — the  right  estimate  for  such 
stone  as  is  quarried  from  the  Sinai  tic  cliff.     The  figures 

are  9  x  9x^=^  =  364.5  x  173.5  =  63240.75  =  28 tons, 

4  cwt.,  2  qrs.,  16  lbs.  avoirdupois. 

19.  The  Rabbis  have  taught  that  these  six  things  possess 
medicinal  virtue : — Cabbage,  lungwort,  beetroot,  water, 
and  certain  parts  of  the  offal  of  animals,  and  some  also 
say  little  fishes.  Avodah  Zarah,  fol.  29,  col.  1. 

20.  Over  six  the  Angel  of  Death  had  no  dominion,  and 
these  were : — Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  Moses,  Aaron, 
and  Miriam.  Respecting  the  first  three  it  is  written, 
ba  bin,  bn,"inall"  (Gen.  xxiv.  1),  " of  all"  (Gen. 
xxvii.  33)  "all"  (A  V.  "enough,"  Gen.  xxxiii.  11).     Re- 


io2  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

specting  the  last  three  it  is  written,  miT  ^3  by,  "  by  the 
mouth  of  Jehovah'1  (see  Num.  xxxiii.  38,  and  Deut. 
xxxiv.  5).  Bava  Bathra,  foL  17,  col.  1. 

Note. — According  to  Jewish  tradition,  there  are  903  kinds  of 
death,  as  is  elicited  by  a  Kabbalistic  rule  called  gematria, 
from  the  word  mx^in,  outlets  (Ps.  lxviii.  20);  the 
numeric  value  of  the  letters  of  which  word  is  903.  Of 
these  903  kinds  of  death,  the  divine  kiss  is  the  easiest. 
God  puts  His  favourite  children  to  sleep,  the  sleep  of 
death,  by  kissing  their  souls  away.  It  was  thus  Abra- 
ham, Isaac,  and  Jacob  fell  asleep,  as  may  be  inferred 
from  the  word  ^D,  all ;  that  is  to  say,  they  had  all  the 
honour  God  could  confer  upon  them.  Moses  and  Aaron 
fell  asleep  by  the  divine  kiss,  for  it  is  plainly  stated  to 
have  been  mrv  *D  hv,  "  by  the  mouth  of  Jehovah."  So 
also  Miriam  passed  away,  only  the  Scripture  does  not 
say  nin*  *B  bVf  ^es*  the  scoffer  should  find  fault.  We  are 
also  informed  that  quinsy  is  the  hardest  death  of  all. 
(See  Berachothj  fol.  8,  col.  1.) 

21.  "  These  six  of  barley  gave  he  me."  What  does  this 
mean  ?  It  cannot  surely  be  understood  of  six  barleycorns, 
for  it  could  not  be  the  custom  of  Boaz  to  give  a  present  of 
six  grains  of  barley.  It  must,  therefore,  have  been  six 
measures.  But  was  it  usual  for  a  woman  to  carry  such 
a  load  as  six  measures  would  come  to  ?  What  he  intended 
by  the  number  six  was  to  give  her  a  hint  that  in  process 
of  time  six  sons  would  proceed  from  her,  each  of  which 
would  be  blessed  with  six  blessings ;  and  these  were  David, 
the  Messiah,  Daniel,  Hananiah,  Mishael,  and  Azariali. 
David,  as  it  is  written  (1  Sam.  xvi.  8),  (1.)  "  Cunning  in 
playing,"  (2.)  "  and  a  mighty  and  valiant  man,"  (3.)  "  a 
man  of  war,"  (4.)  "  prudent  in  matters,"  (5.)  "  a  comely 
person,"  (6.)  and  "  the  Lord  is  with  him."  The  Messiah, 
for  it  is  written  (Isa.  xi.  2),  "  And  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
shall  rest  upon  him,"  viz.,  (1.)  "  The  spirit  of  wisdom  and 
(2.)  understanding,  (3.)  the  spirit  of  counsel  and  (4.)  might, 
(5.)  the  spirit  of  knowledge,  and  (6.)  the  fear  of  the  Lord." 
Daniel,  Hananiah,  Mishael,  and  Azariah,  for  regarding 
them  it  is  written  (Dan.  i.  4),  (1.)  "Young  men  in  whom 


CHAPTER  VI.  103 

was  no  blemish,"  (2.)  "handsome  in  looks,"  (3.)  "intelli- 
gent in  wisdom/'  (4.)  "acquainted  with  knowledge,"  (5.) 
"  and  understanding  science,  and  such  as  (6.)  had  ability 
to  stand  in  the  palace  of  the  king,"  &c.  But  what  is  the 
meaning  of  unblemished  ?  Rav  Chama  ben  Chanania  says 
it  means  that  not  even  the  scar  of  a  lancet  was  upon 
them.  Sanhedrin,  fol.  93,  cols.  1,  2. 

Note. — (a.)  The  words  "not  even  the  scar  of  a  lancet  was 
upon  them,"  bespeak  the  prevalence  of  blood-letting  in 
the  East,  and  the  absence  of  the  scar  of  the  lancet  on 
the  persons  of  Daniel  and  his  companions  is  a  testimony 
to  their  health  of  body  and  moral  temperance  and  purity. 

(b.)  In  Taanith  (fol.  21,  col.  2)  mention  is  made  of 
a  certain  phlebotomist — a  noteworthy  exception  to  the 
well-known  rule  (see  Kiddushin,  fol.  82,  col.  2)  that 
phlebotomists  are  to  be  regarded  as  morally  depraved, 
and  in  the  same  class  with  goldsmiths,  perfumers,  hair- 
dressers, &c,  —  Abba  Umna  by  name,  who  had  a 
special  mantle  with  slits  in  the  sleeves  for  females,  so 
that  he  could  surgically  operate  upon  them  without  see- 
ing their  naked  arms,  while  he  himself  was  covered  over 
head  and  shoulders  in  a  peculiar  cloak,  so  that  his  own 
face  could  not  by  any  chance  be  seen  by  them. 

(c.)  From  Shabbath,  fol.  156,  col.  1,  we  learn  that 
a  person  born  under  the  influence  of  DHNft,  Maadim, 
i.e.,  Mars,  will  in  one  way  or  another  be  a  shedder  of 
blood,  such  as  a  phlebotomist,  a  butcher,  a  highwayman, 
&c,  &c. 

22.  The  lion  has  six  names  (in  Hebrew),  viz.,  "vs^,  1-^ 

ynttf,  W,  wb%  wzb.  ibid,  fol.  95,  coi.  1. 

Note. — The  foregoing  are  all  Biblical  terms,  of  which  the 
first  five  occur  in  Job  iv.  10,  n  :  "The  roaring  of  the 
lion  (nx),  the  voice  of  the  fierce  lion  (^w),  and  the 
teeth  of  the  young  lion  (t&3)  are  broken ;  the  old  lion 
(wb)  perisheth  for  lack  of  prey,  and  the  whelps  of  the 
lioness  (wih)  have  to  scatter  themselves  abroad."  The 
remaining  term,  yn&,  occurs  in  Job  xxviii.  8. 

23.  The  serpent  has  six  names  (in  Hebrew),  viz.,  Wr\2, 

ywiy,  nys>*,  •oiysx,  p/i,  tip- 

Avoth  d'Rab.  Natlcan,  chap.  39. 


(     io4 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   'SEVENS'    OF   THE   TALMUD. 

1.  He  who  passes  seven  nights  in  succession  without 
dreaming  deserves  to  be  called  wicked. 

Berachoth,  foL  14,  col.  1. 

2.  Gehinnorn  has  seven  names: — Sheol  (Jonah  ii.  2),  Ava- 
don  (Ps.  lxxxviii.  11),  Shachath  (Ps.  xvi.  2),  Horrible  pit 
(Ps.  xl.  2),  Miry  clay  (Ps.  xl.  2),  the  Shadow  of  death  (Ps. 
cvii.  14),  the  Subterranean  land.     Eiruvin,  fol.  19,  col.  1. 

3.  A  dog  in  a  strange  place  does  not  bark  for  seven 
years.  Ibid.,  fol.  61,  col.  1. 

4.  Seven  things  were  formed  before  the  creation  of  the 
world : — The  Law,  Repentance,  Paradise,  Gehenna,  the 
Throne  of  Glory,  the  Temple,  and  the  name  of  the  Messiah. 

P'sachim,  fol.  54,  col.  1. 
Note. — The  Midrash  Yalkut  (p.  7)  enumerates  the  same  list 
almost  word  for  word,  and  the  Targum  of  Ben  Uzziel 
develops  the  tradition  still  further,  while  the  Targum 
Yerushalmi  fixes  the  date  of  the  origin  of  the  seven  pre- 
historic wonders  at  "two  thousand  years  before  the 
creation  of  the  world." 

5.  Seven  things  are  hid  from  the  knowledge  of  a  man  : — 
The  day  of  death,  the  day  of  the  resurrection,  the  depth  of 
judgment  (i.e.,  the  future  reward  or  punishment),  what  is 
in  the  heart  of  his  fellow-man,  what  his  reward  will  be, 
when  the  kingdom  of  David  will  be  restored,  and  when 
the  kingdom  of  Persia  will  fall.  Ibid.,  fol.  54,  col.  2. 


CHAPTER  VII  105 

6.  Seven  are  excommunicated  before  heaven : — A  Jew 
who  has  no  wife,  and  even  one  who  is  married  but  has  no 
male  children ;  and  he  that  has  sons  but  does  not  train 
them  up  to  study  the  law ;  he  who  does  not  wear  phylac- 
teries on  his  forehead  and  upon  his  arm  and  fringes  upon 
his  garment,  and  has  no  mezuzah  on  his  doorpost;  and 
he  who  goes  barefooted.  F'sachim,  fol.  113,  col.  2. 

Note. — The  first  and  second  of  these  unhappy  ones  upon 
whom  the  ban  of  Heaven  is  said  to  rest  are  further  com- 
mented on  in  this  Miscellany,  chap.  1 ,  sec.  9,  note ; 
chap.  2,  sec.  2,  notes.  The  third  case  receives  illustra- 
tion from  the  Book  of  Zohar  (Syn.  Tit.  1 ),  "  He  who  takes 
his  son  morning  and  evening  to  the  house  of  a  Eabbi  is 
as  if  he  had  twice  received  the  law  on  Mount  Sinai,"  &c. 

7.  There  are  seven  skies: — Villon,  Eaakia,  Shechakim, 
Zevul,  Maaon,  Maachon,  and  Aravoth. 

Chaggigah,  fol.  12,  col.  2. 

8.  Seven  days  before  the  Day  of  Atonement  they  removed 
the  high  priest  from  his  own  residence  to  the  chamber  of  the 
President  (pTTiTlS  =  irdpehpov),  and  appointed  another 
priest  as  his  deputy  in  case  he  should  meet  with  such  an 
accident  as  would  incapacitate  him  from  going  through  the 
service  of  the  day.  Eabbi  Yehudah  says  they  also  had  to 
betroth  him  to  another  woman  lest  his  own  wife  should  die 
meanwhile,  for  it  is  said,  "  And  he  shall  make  an  atone- 
ment for  himself  and  for  his  house," — his  house,  that  is,  his 
wife.  In  reference  to  this  precautionary  rule  it  was  ob- 
served, there  might  then  be  no  end  to  the  matter  (Eashi), 
should  this  woman  die  also.  Yoma,  fol.  2,  col.  1. 

9.  They  associated  with  the  high  priest  the  senior 
elders  of  the  Sanhedrin,  who  read  over  to  him  the  agenda 
of  the  day,  and  then  said  to  him,  "  My  lord  high  priest, 
read  thou  for  thyself ;  perhaps  thou  hast  forgotten  it,  or 
maybe  thou  hast  not  learned  it  at  all."  On  the  day  before 
the  Day  of  Atonement  he  was  taken  to  the  East  Gate, 
when  they  caused  oxen,  rams,  and  lambs  to  pass  before 


106  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

him,  that  lie  might  become  well-versed  and  expert  in  his 
official  duties.  During  the  whole  of  the  seven  (prepara- 
tory) days  neither  victuals  nor  drink  were  withheld  from 
him,  but  towards  dusk  on  the  eve  of  the  Day  of  Atone- 
ment they  did  not  allow  him  to  eat  much,  for  much  food 
induces  sleep.  Then  the  elders  of  the  Sanhedrin  surren- 
dered him  to  the  elders  of  the  priesthood,  and  these  con- 
ducted him  to  the  hall  of  the  house  of  Abtinas,  and  there 
they  swore  him  in ;  and  after  bidding  him  good-bye,  they 
went  away.  In  administering  the  oath  they  said,  "  My 
lord  high  priest,  we  are  ambassadors  of  the  Sanhedrin  ; 
thou  art  our  ambassador  and  the  ambassador  of  the  San- 
hedrin as  well.  We  adjure  thee,  by  Him  who  causes  His 
name  to  dwell  in  this  house,  that  thou  alter  not  anything 
that  we  have  told  thee ! "  Then  they  parted,  both  they 
and  he  weeping.  He  wept  because  they  suspected  he 
was  a  Sadducee,  and  they  wept  because  the  penalty  for 
wrongly  suspecting  persons  is  scourging.  If  he  was  a 
learned  man  he  preached  (during  the  night) ;  if  not,  learned 
men  preached  before  him.  If  he  was  a  ready  reader,  he 
read;  if  not,  others  read  to  him.  What  were  the  books 
read  over  to  him  ?  Job,  Ezra,  and  the  Chronicles. 
Zechariah  the  son  of  Kevootal  says,  "  I  have  often  read 
before  him  the  Book  of  Daniel."  If  he  became  drowsy, 
the  juniors  of  the  priestly  order  fillipped  their  middle 
fingers  before  him,  and  said,  "  My  lord  high  priest,  stand 
up  and  cool  thy  feet  upon  the  pavement."  Thus  they 
kept  him  engaged  till  the  time  of  slaughtering  (the  sacri- 
fices). Yoma,  fol.  18,  cols,  i,  2;  fol.  19,  col.  2. 

Note. — (a.)  Sacerdos  nascitur,  nan  Jit, — a  priest  is  born,  not 
made,  we  may  truly  say  (just  altering  one  word  of  a  well- 
known  proverb).  His  father  was  a  priest,  and  so  were 
his  forefathers  as  far  back  as  the  time  of  Aaron  ;  his  sons 
and  his  sons'  sons  after  him  will  belong  to  the  priestly 
order,  and  so  the  name  was  far  too  often  only  the  badge 
for  exclusive  and  hereditary  privilege.  This  rule,  that 
applies  to  the  D*3?13  (priests),  holds  good  also  with  regard 
to  the  Levites.     (Berachoth,  fol.  29,  col.  1.) 


CHAPTER  VII.  107 

(b.)  There  was  a  town  in  the  land  of  Israel  called 
Gophnith,*  where  there  were  eighty  couples  of  brother 
priests  who  married  eighty  couples  of  sister  priestesses 
in  one  night.     (Berachoth,  fol.  44,  col.  1.) 

(c.)  Flay  a  carcase  and  take  thy  fee,  but  say  not  it 
is  humiliating  because  I  am  a  priest,  I  am  a  great  man. 
(P'sachim,  fol.  113,  col.  1.) 

Note. — Philo  Judceus,  De  Sac.  Honor,  (p.  833),  says,  "The 
hides  of  the  burnt-offerings  proved  a  rich  perquisite 
of  the  priesthood." 

(d.)  The  number  of  high  priests  who  officiated  in  suc- 
cession during  the  410  years  of  the  continuance  of  the 
first  Temple  was  only  eighteen,  but  the  number  who  held 
office  during  the  420  years  of  the  second  Temple 
amounted  to  more  than  three  hundred,  most  of  them 
having  died  within  a  year  after  their  entrance  upon  the 
office.  The  reason  naively  assigned  by  the  Talmud  for 
the  long  lives  of  the  former  and  the  short  lives  of  the 
latter  is  the  text  given  in  Pro  v.  x.  27,  "  The  fear  of  the 
Lord  prolongeth  days,  but  the  years  of  the  wicked  shall 
be  shortened."    (Yoma,  fol.  9,  col.  1.) 

(e.)  Before  a  priest  could  be  admitted  into  active  ser- 
vice in  the  Temple  he  had  to  undergo  bodily  inspection 
at  the  hands  of  the  syndicate  of  the  Sanhedrim  If  they 
found  the  least  defect  in  his  body,  even  a  mole  with 
hair  upon  it,  he  was  ordered  to  dress  in  black  and  be 
dismissed ;  but  if  he  was  perfectly  free  from  blemish,  he 
was  arrayed  in  white,  and  at  once  introduced  to  his 
brother  priests  and  official  duties.     (Ibid.,  fol.  19,  col.  1.) 

(/.)  The  daughters  of  a  male  proselyte  who  has  mar 
ried  the  daughter  of  a  female  proselyte  are  eligible  to 
marry  priests.     (Yevamoth,  fol.  57,  col.  1.) 

(g.)  If  thou  seest  an  impudent  priest,  think  not  evil  of 
him ;  for  it  is  said  (Hosea  iv.  4),  "  Thy  people  are  as  they 
that  strive  with  the  priest"  (see  chap.  ii.  p.  25,  Note  c). 
(Kiddushin,  fol.  70,  fol.  2.) 

(h.)  So  long  as  there  is  a  diadem  on  the  head  of  the 
priest,  there  is  a  crown  on  the  head  of  every  man. 
Remove  the  diadem  from  the  head  of  the  high  priest 
and  you  take  away  the  crown  from  the  head  of  all  the 
people.  (This  is  a  Talmudic  comment  on  Ezek.  xxi. 
31  j  A.  Yer.,  26).      (Gittin,  fol.  7,  col.  1.) 

*  Gophnith  -was  a  very  populous  place  in  Palestine.     See  "La  Geographic 
du  Talmud,"  by  Dr.  A.  Neubauer. 


108  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

(i.)  A  king  shaved  his  head  every  day,  a  high  priest 
did  the  same  once  a  week,  and  an  ordinary  priest  once 
a  month.     (Sanhedrin,  foL  22,  col.  2.) 

(j.)  When  a  priest  performs  the  service  of  the 
Temple  in  a  state  of  defilement,  his  brother  priests  are 
not  required  to  lead  him  before  the  tribunal,  but  the 
juniors  of  the  priestly  order  are  to  drag  him  out  into  the 
hall  and  brain  him  with  clubs.      {Ibid.,  fol.  81,  coL  2.) 

(k.)  When  kings  were  anointed,  the  holy  oil  was  laid 
on  the  forehead  in  the  form  of  a  coronet  (\J/),  and  when, 
says  Kabbi  Mansi  bar  Gadda,  priests  were  anointed, 
the  operation  was  performed  in  the  shape  of  the  Greek 
letter  *  (*).     (Horayoth,  fol.  12,  col.  1.) 

(I.)  A  learned  man  who  is  of  illegitimate  birth  is 
preferable  to  an  ignorant  priest.     (Ibid.,  fol.  13,  col.  1.) 

(m. )  A  priest  who  makes  no  confession  during  service 
has  no  part  in  the  priesthood.  (He  forfeits  his  emolu- 
ments).    (Menachoth,  foL  18,  col.  2.) 

(n.)  The  bald-headed,  the  dwarfed,  and  the  blear-eyed 
are  ineligible  for  the  priesthood.  (Bechoroth,  fol. 
43,  col.  2.) 

(0.)  Rav  Chasda  says,  "The  portions  that  fall  to  the 
priests  are  not  to  be  eaten  except  roasted  and  that  with 
mustard,"  because  Scripture  says  (Num.  xviii.  8),  "by 
reason  of  the  anointing,"  i.e.,  by  way  of  distinction,  for 
only  kings  (who,  of  course,  are  anointed)  eat  roast  meat 
with  mustard.     (Chidlin,  fol.  132,  col.  2.) 

(p.)  If  a  case  of  mistaken  identity  should  occur 
between  the  child  of  a  priestess  and  the  child  of  her 
female  slave,  so  that  the  one  cannot  be  distinguished 
from  the  other,  they  both  are  to  eat  of  the  heave-offer- 
ing and  to  receive  one  share  from  the  threshing-floor. 
When  grown  up,  each  is  to  set  the  other  free.  (Gittin, 
fol.  42,  col.  2.) 

(q.)  From  the  old  clothes  of  the  priests  the  wicks 
were  made  for  the  lamps  in  the  Temple.  (Shabbath, 
fol.  21,  col.  1.) 

(r.)  More  on  the  subjects  of  priest,  priestess,  and 
priesthood  may  be  found  in  "  Exodus,  according  to  the 
Talmud."  One  other  item  only  we  will  add  here.  Scrip- 
ture authority  is  given  in  proof  that  the  very  garments 
possessed  the  faculty  of  making  atonement  for  sin  every 
whit  as  effectually  as  animal  sacrifices.  We  are  taught 
that  the  priest's  shirt  atones  for  murder,  his  drawers 
atone  for  whoredom,  his  mitre  for  pride,  his  girdle  for  evil 


CHAPTER  VII.  109 

thoughts,  his  breastplate  for  injustice,  his  ephod  for 
idolatry  ;  his  overcoat  atones  for  slander,  and  the  golden 
plate  on  his  forehead  atones  for  impudence.  (Zevachim, 
fol.  SS,  col.  2.) 

Note. — All  this  and  a  great  deal  more  on  the  subject 
may  be  found  in  the  Selichoth  for  Yom  Kippur, 
notably  in  the  prayer  beginning  n^Dn  un3K  ^ZIK- 

10.  For  seven  years  was  the  land  of  Israel  strewn  with 
brimstone  and  salt.  Yoma,  fol.  54,  col.  1. 

1 1.  "Then  shall  we  raise  against  him  seven  shepherds  " 
(Micah  v.  5).  Who  are  these  seven  shepherds?  David 
in  the  middle ;  Adam,  Seth,  and  Methuselah  on  his  right 
hand ;  Abraham,  Jacob,  and  Moses  on  his  left. 

Succah,  fol.  52,  col.  2. 

12.  Who  were  the  seven  prophetesses  ?  The  answer  is, 
Sarah,  Miriam,  Deborah,  Hannah,  Abigail,  Huldah,  and 
Esther.  Meggillah,  fol.  14,  coL  2. 

13.  It  is  lawful  to  look  into  the  face  of  a  bride  for  seven 
days  after  her  marriage,  in  order  to  enhance  the  affection 
with  which  she  is  regarded  by  her  husband,  and  there  is 
no  Halachah  (or  law)  like  this.     Kethuboth,  fol.  17,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  Rabbis  are  especially  careful  to  caution  their 
daughters  to  guard  against  such  habits  as  might  lower 
them  in  the  regard  of  their  husbands,  lest  they  should 
lose  aught  of  that  purifying  and  elevating  power  which 
they  exercised  as  maidens.  It  is  thus,  for  instance, 
Rav  Chisda  counsels  his  daughters  :  "Be  ye  modest  be- 
fore your  husbands,  and  do  not  even  eat  before  them. 
Eat  not  vegetables  or  dates  in  the  evening,  and  touch 
not  strong  drink."  \r6  ^PIX  fc6  frOim  ir6  »iriK  NmnB 
'{nyt^En  IV-     (Shabbath,  fol.  140,  col.  2.) 

14.  Once  upon  a  time  a  demon  in  the  shape  of  a  seven- 
headed  dragon  came  forth  against  Rav  Acha  and  threatened 
to  harm  him,  but  the  Rabbi  threw  himself  on  his  knees, 
and  every  time  he  fell  down  to  pray  he  knocked  off  one  of 
these  heads,  and  thus  eventually  killed  the  dragon. 

Kiddushin,  fol.  29,  coL  2. 


no  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

15.  On  the  seventh  of  the  month  Adar,  Moses  died,  and 
on  that  day  the  manna  ceased  to  come  down  from  heaven. 

Kiddushin,  fol.  38,  col.  1. 
Note. — The  seventh  of  Adar  is  still,  and  has  long  heen, 
kept  sacred  as  the  day  of  the  death  of  Moses  our 
Kabbi — peace  be  with  him  ! — and  that  on  the  authority  of 
T.  B.  Kiddushin  (as  quoted  above),  and  Soteh,  fol.  10, 
col.  2  ;  but  Josephus  (Book  iv.  chap.  8,  sec.  49)  most 
distinctly  affirms  that  Moses  died  "  on  the  first  day  of 
the  month,"  and  the  Midrash  on  Esther  may  be  quoted 
in  corroboration  of  his  statement.  The  probability  is 
that  the  Talmud  is  right  on  this  matter,  but  it  is  alto- 
gether wrong  in  connecting  with  this  event  the  stoppage 
of  the  manna  (see  Josh.  v.  10,  12). 

16.  Seven  years  did  the  nations  of  the  world  cultivate 
their  vineyards  with  no  other  manure  than  the  blood  of 
Israel.  Eabbi  Chiya,  the  son  of  Abin,  says  that  Eabbi 
Yehoshua,  the  son  of  Korcha,  said,  "  An  old  man,  an 
inhabitant  of  Jerusalem,  related  to  me  that  Nebuzaradan, 
captain  of  the  guard,  killed  in  this  valley  2 1 1  myriads 
(about  2,110,000),  and  in  Jerusalem  he  slaughtered  upon 
one  stone  94  myriads  (940,000),  so  that  the  blood  flowed 
until  it  reached  the  blood  of  Zechariah,  in  order  that  that 
might  be  fulfilled  which  is  said  (Hosea  iv.  2),  '  And  blood 
toucheth  blood.'"  Gittin,  fol.  57,  col.  1. 

Note. — Historical  facts  like  these  speak  for  themselves  and 
need  no  comment. 

1 7.  The  seventh  of  Adar,  on  which  Moses  died,  was  the 
same  day  of  the  same  month  on  which  he  was  born. 

Soteh,  fol.  10,  col.  2. 

18.  A  male  hyaena  after  seven  years  becomes  a  bat; 
this  after  seven  years,  a  vampire;  this  after  other  seven 
years,  a  nettle ;  this  after  seven  years  more,  a  thorn ;  and 
this  again  after  seven  years  is  turned  into  a  demon.  If  a 
man  does  not  devoutly  bow  during  the  repetition  of  the 
daily  prayer  which  commences  ijnjtt  DH1Q,  "  we  re- 
verently acknowledge,"  his  spine  after  seven  years  becomes 
a  serpent.  Bava  Kama,  fol.  16,  col.  1. 


CHAPTER  VII.  in 

19.  It  is  related  of  Benjamin  the  righteous,  who  was 
keeper  of  the  poor-box,  that  a  woman  came  to  him  at 
a  period  of  famine  and  solicited  food.  "  By  the  worship 
of  God,"  he  replied,  "  there  is  nothing  in  the  box."  She 
then  exclaimed,  "  0  Babbi,  if  thou  dost  not  feed  me  I  and 
my  seven  children  must  needs  starve."  Upon  which  he 
relieved  her  from  his  own  private  purse.  In  course  of 
time  he  fell  ill  and  was  nigh  unto  death.  Then  the 
ministering  angels  interceded  with  the  Holy  One — blessed 
be  He ! — and  said,  "  Lord  of  the  Universe,  Thou  hast  said 
he  that  preserveth  one  single  soul  of  Israel  alive  is  as  if 
he  had  preserved  the  life  of  the  whole  world ;  and  shall 
Benjamin  the  righteous,  who  preserved  a  poor  woman  and 
her  seven  children,  die  so  prematurely  ? "  Instantly  the 
death-warrant  which  had  gone  forth  was  torn  up,  and 
twenty-two  years  were  added  to  his  life. 

Bava  Bathra,  foL  11,  col.  1. 

20.  Seven  prophets  have  prophesied  to  the  nations  of 
the  world,  and  these  were  Balaam  and  his  father,  Job, 
Eliphaz  the  Temanite,  Bildad  the  Shuhite,  Zophar  the 
Naamathite,  and  Elihu  the  son  of  Barachel  the  Buzite. 

Ibid.,  fol.  15,  col.  2. 

21.  There  are  seven  who  are  not  consumed  by  the  worm 
in  the  grave,  and  these  are  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob, 
Moses,  Aaron,  and  Miriam,  and  Benjamin  the  son  of 
Jacob.  Ibid.fidL  17,  col.  1. 

22.  Seven  men  form  an  unbroken  series  from  the  crea- 
tion down  to  our  own  time.  Methuselah  saw  Adam, 
Shem  saw  Methuselah,  Jacob  saw  Shem,  Amram  saw 
Jacob,  and  Ahijah  the  Shilonite  saw  Amram,  and  Ahijah 
was  seen  by  Elijah,  who  is  alive  to  this  day, 

Ibid.,  fol.  121,  col.  2. 

23.  Seven  years'  famine  will  not  affect  the  artisan. 

Sanhedrin,  foL  29,  col.  1. 
JSTote. — The   Polish   Jews   have  a  saying   parallel  to  this  : 
nste  nSfe&E,  ?'•<?.,  "A  trade  is  a  kingdom." 


H2  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

24.  Seven  years  of  pestilence  will  not  cause  a  man  to 
die  before  his  time.  Sanhedrin,  fol.  29,  col.  1. 

25  "  And  it  came  to  pass  after  seven  days  that  the  waters 
of  the  flood  were  upon  the  earth"  (Gen.  vii.  10).  Why 
this  delay  of  seven  days  ?  Eav  says  they  were  the  days 
of  mourning  for  Methuselah ;  and  this  teaches  us  that 
mourning  for  the  righteous  will  defer  a  coming  calamity. 
Another  explanation  is,  that  the  Holy  One — blessed  be 
He  ! — altered  the  course  of  nature  during  these  seven  days, 
so  that  the  sun  arose  in  the  west  and  set  in  the  east. 

Ibid.,  fol.  108,  col.  2. 

26.  The  first  step  in  transgression  is  evil  thought,  the 
second  scoffing,  the  third  pride,  the  fourth  outrage,  the 
fifth  idleness,  the  sixth  hatred,  and  the  seventh  an  evil 
eye.  Derech  Eretz  Zuta,  chap.  6. 

27.  Seven  things  cause  affliction  : — Slander,  shedding  of 
blood,  perjury,  adultery,  pride,  robbery,  and  envy. 

Erchin,  fol.  17,  col.  2. 

28.  A  ram  has  but  one  voice  while  alive  but  seven  after 
he  is  dead.  How  so?  His  horns  make  two  trumpets, 
his  hip-bones  two  pipes,  his  skin  can  be  extended  into  a 
drum,  his  larger  intestines  can  yield  strings  for  the  lyre 
and  the  smaller  chords  for  the  harp. 

Kinnim,  chap  3,  mish.  6. 

29.  Eav  Chisda  said,  The  soul  of  a  man  mourns  over 
him  the  first  seven  days  after  his  decease ;  for  it  is  said 
(Job  xiv.  22),  "  And  his  soul  shall  mourn  over  him." 

Shabbath,  fol.  152,  col.  2. 

Note. — In  the  context  of  this  quotation  there  are  several 
other  interesting  items  of  folk-lore  on  the  same  topic, 
of  equal  credibility  with  the  above. 

30.  The  Eabbis  have  taught  that  a  man  should  not 
drink  water  on  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays  after  night- 


CHAPTER  VII.  ii3 

fall,  for  if  he  does,  his  blood,  because  of  risk,  will  be  upon 
his  own  head.  What  risk  ?  That  from  an  evil  spirit  who 
on  these  evenings  prowls  abroad.  But  if  the  man  be 
thirsty,  what  is  he  to  do  ?  Let  him  repeat  over  the  water 
the  seven  voices  ascribed  to  the  Lord  by  David  in  Psalm 
xxix.  3-9,  "The  voice  of  the  Lord  is  upon  the  waters,"  &c. 

P'sachim,  fol.  112,  col.  1. 

31.  Seven  precepts  did  Eabbi  Akiva  give  to  his  son 
Eabbi  Yehoshua: — (1.)  My  son,  teach  not  in  the  highest 
place  of  the  city  ;  (2.)  Dwell  not  in  a  city  where  the  leading 
men  are  disciples  of  the  wise ;  (3.)  Enter  not  suddenly  into 
thine  own  house,  and  of  course  not  into  thy  neighbour's  ; 
(4.)  Do  not  go  about  without  shoes;  (5.)  Eise  early  and 
eat  in  summer  time  because  of  the  heat,  and  in  winter 
time  because  of  the  cold;  (6.)  Make  thy  Sabbath  as  a 
week-day  rather  than  depend  for  support  on  other  people  ; 
(7.)  Strive  to  keep  on  close  friendly  terms  with  the  man 
whom  fortune  favours  (lit.  on  whom  the  present  hour 
smiles).  Eav  Pappa  adds,  "  This  does  not  refer  to  buying 
or  selling,  but  to  partnership."  Ibid. 

32.  How  is  it  proved  that  mourning  should  be  kept  up 
seven  days  ?  It  is  written  (Amos  viii.  10),  "  I  will  turn 
your  feasts  into  mourning,"  and  these  in  many  cases  lasted 
seven  days.  Moed  Katon,  fol.  20,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  first  instance  of  the  nys^,  or  week  of  mourn- 
ing, dates  much  farther  back  than  that  of  the  Scripture 
authority  here  quoted  for  its  observance.  The  mourning 
for  Jacob  (Gen.  1.  10)  and  the  mourning  for  Saul 
(1  Sam.  xxxi.  13)  may  be  cited  among  others.  It  may 
interest  some  of  our  readers  to  know  that  the  njnt?  is 
observed  to  this  day. 

33.  Eav  Chisda  said  there  are  seven  kinds  of  gold: — 
Gold,  good  gold,  the  gold  of  Ophir,  purified  gold,  beaten 
gold,  shut-up  gold,  and  gold  of  Parvain. 

Yoina,  fol.  44,  col.  2. 
Note. — The    shut-up    gold    (tud  3ilT,    see   the    original   in 


H4  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

i  Kings  vi.  1 2)  was  of  the  purest  and  rarest  quality,  so 
that  when  it  appeared  in  the  market  for  sale,  all  shops 
in  the  locality  were  "  shut  up,"  for  there  could  be  no 
sale  of  any  other  gold  before  that.  All  gold-dealers 
"  shut  up  "  their  shops  in  order  to  be  present  on  so  rare 
an  occasion ;  and  hence  the  name  of  this  kind  of  gold — 
"  shut-up  gold." 

34.  Each  day  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  they  walked 
round  the  altar  once,  and  said,  "  0  Lord,  save  us,  we 
beseech  Thee  !  0  Lord,  prosper  us,  we  beseech  Thee  ! " 
But  on  the  last  day  they  encompassed  it  seven  times. 
On  their  departure  they  said,  "  Beauty  belongeth  to  thee, 
O  altar !     Beauty  belongeth  to  thee,  0  altar !  " 

Succah,  fol.  45,  col.  1. 
Note. — It  deserves  to  be  noted  here  for  the  information  of 
some  of  our  readers  that  the  words  &o  nysCin,  translated 
above,  Save  now,  or  Save,  ive  beseech  thee,  are  the  original 
of  our  word  Hosanna.  The  25th  and  26th  verses  of 
Psalm  cxviii.,  which  begin  with  this  expression,  were 
repeated  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles ;  and  hence  the 
bundles  of  palm  and  willow  branches  (carried  on  this 
occasion),  the  prayers,  and  the  festival  itself,  were  so 
named,  i.e.,  Hosanna. 

35.  The  Tempter  is  known  by  seven  distinctive  epithets  : 
— (1.)  The  Holy  One — blessed  be  He! — calls  him  evil ;  as 
it  is  said,  "  For  the  imagination  of  man's  heart  is  evil." 
(2.)  Moses  calls  him  uncircumciscd ;  as  it  is  said  (Deut.  x. 
16),  "  Circumcise  therefore  the  uncircumcised  foreskin  of 
your  heart."  (3.)  David  calls  him  unclean;  as  it  is  said 
(Ps.  li.  10),  "  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  0  God  ! "  Con- 
sequently there  must  be  an  unclean  one.  (4.)  Solomon 
calls  him  enemy;  as  it  is  said  (Prov.  xxv.  21,  22),  "If 
thine  enemy  hunger,  give  him  bread  to  eat ;  if  he  be  thirsty, 
give  him  water  to  drink;  for  thus  thou  shalt  heap  coals 
of  fire  upon  his  head,  and  the  Lord  shall  reward  thee," 
(i.e.,  oppose  him  with  the  law.  Qr6,  in  the  sense  of 
bread,  is  metaphorically  taken  for  the  law,  Prov.  ix.  5, 
so  that  (jive  him  water  to  drink  means  also  the  law.  Isa. 


CHAPTER  VII.  115 

lv.  1 — Rashi.  And  the  Lord  reward  thee,  read  not  reward, 
Dbw,  but  cause  him  to  make  peace  with  thee,  13D^t£P>  n°t  to 
war  against  thee).  (5.)  Isaiah  calls  him  stumbling-Mock; 
as  it  is  said  (Isa.  lvii.  14),  "  Cast  ye  up,  cast  ye  up,  pre- 
pare the  way,  take  up  the  stumbling-block  out  of  the  way 
of  my  people."  (6.)  Ezekiel  calls  him  stone ;  as  it  is  said 
(Ezek.  xxxvi.  26),  "  I  will  take  away  the  heart  of  stone  out 
of  your  flesh  and  I  will  give  you  a  heart  of  flesh."  (7.) 
Joel  calls  him  the  hidden  one  ;  as  it  is  said  (Joel  ii.  20), 
"  I  will  remove  far  from  you  the  hidden  one,"  MISS,  i.e., 
the  tempter  who  remains  hidden  in  the  heart  of  man ; 
"  and  I  will  drive  him  into  a  land  barren  and  desolate," 
i.e.,  where  the  children  of  men  do  not  usually  dwell ; 
"  with  his  face  towards  the  former  sea,"  i.e.,  with  his  eyes 
set  upon  the  first  Temple,  which  he  destroyed,  slaying  the 
disciples  of  the  wise  that  were  in  it ;  "  and  his  hinder 
part  towards  the  latter  sea,"  i.e.,  with  his  eyes  set  on  the 
second  Temple,  which  he  destroyed,  also  slaying  the  dis- 
ciples of  the  wise  that  were  in  it.     Succah,  foL  52,  coL  1. 

36.  Once  a  Jewish  mother  with  her  seven  sons  suffered 
martyrdom  at  the  hands  of  the  Emperor.  The  sons,  when 
ordered  by  the  latter  to  do  homage  to  the  idols  of  the 
Empire,  declined,  and  justified  their  disobedience  by  quot- 
ing each  a  simple  text  from  the  sacred  Scriptures.  When 
the  seventh  was  brought  forth,  it  is  related  that  Csesar,  for 
appearance'  sake,  offered  to  spare  him  if  only  he  would 
stoop  and  pick  up  a  ring  from  the  ground  which  had  been 
dropped  on  purpose.  "  Alas  for  thee,  0  Csesar ! "  answered 
the  boy;  "  if  thou  art  so  zealous  for  thine  honour,  how  much 
more  zealous  ought  we  to  be  for  the  honour  of  the  Holy 
One — blessed  be  He!"  On  his  being  led  away  to  the 
place  of  execution,  the  mother  craved  and  obtained  leave 
to  give  him  a  farewell  kiss.  "  Go,  my  child,"  said  she, 
"  and  say  to  Abraham,  Thou  didst  build  an  altar  for  the 
sacrifice  of  one  son,  but  I  have  erected  altars  for  seven 
sons."     She  then  turned  away  and  threw  herself  down 


ii6  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

headlong  from  the  roof  and  expired,  when  the  echo  of  a 
voice  was  heard  exclaiming  (Ps.  cxiii.  9),  "  The  joyful 
mother  of  children "  (or,  the  mother  of  the  children 
rejoiceth).  Gittin,  fol.  57,  coL  2. 

Note. — The  story  of  this  martyrdom  is  narrated  at  much 
greater  length  in  the  Books  of  Maccabees  (Book  iii. 
chap.  7,  Book  iv.  chaps.  8-18).  In  a  Latin  version  the 
names  are  given,  that  of  the  mother  Solomona,  and  her 
sons  respectively  Maccabeus,  Aber,  Machir,  Judas, 
Achaz,  Areth,  while  the  hero  of  our  Talmudic  reference, 
the  seventh  and  last,  is  styled  Jacob.  Josephus,  Ant., 
Book  xii.  chap.  6,  sec.  4,  may  also  be  referred  to  for 
further  and  varying  details. 

37.  The  land  of  Israel  was  not  destroyed  till  the  seven 
courts  of  judgment  (VT1  VQ)  had  fallen  into  idolatry,  and 
these  are  they : — Jeroboam,  the  son  of  Nebat ;  Baasha,  the 
son  of  Ahijah;  Ahab,  the  son  of  Omri;  Jehu,  the  son  of 
Nimshi;  Pekah,  the  son  of  Eemaliah;  Menahem,  the  son 
of  Gadi ;  and  Hoshea,  the  son  of  Elah ;  as  it  is  written 
(Jer.  xv.  9),  "  She  that  hath  borne  seven  languisheth  :  she 
hath  given  up  the  ghost ;  her  sun  is  gone  down  while  it 
is  yet  day ;  she  hath  been  ashamed  and  confounded." 

Ibid.,  fol.  88,  col.  1. 

38.  "He  stood  and  measured  the  earth;  he  beheld  and 
freed  the  Gentiles  (A.V.,  he  drove  asunder  the  nations, 

Hab.  iii.  6) ;  he  beheld  that  the  seven  precepts  which  the 
children  of  Noah  accepted  were  not  observed;  he  stood 
vp  and  set  their  property /ree  for  the  service  of  Israel." 

Bava  Kama,  fol.  38,  col.  1. 

Note. — This  is  one  of  the  weightier  expositions  met  with 
from  time  to  time  in  the  Talmud,  in  which  one  recog- 
nises a  more  than  ordinarily  deep  and  earnest  feeling 
on  the  part  of  the  commentator.  The  interpreter  ex- 
presses himself  as  a  man  instinct  with  the  exclusive 
Hebrew  spirit,  and  as  such  claims  his  title  to  the  whole 
inheritance.  It  is  a  claim  abstractly  defensible,  and  the 
just  assertion  of  it  is  the  basis  of  all  rights  over  others. 
The  only  question  here  is  whether  the  Jew  alone  is 


CHAPTER  VII.  117 

invested  with  the  privilege.  There  can  be  little  doubt 
that  the  principle  on  which  he  claims  enfeoffment  in  the 
estate  is  a  sound  one,  that  the  earth  belongs  in  no  case 
to  the  sons  of  Belial,  only  to  the  sons  of  God. 

39.  Seven  things  distinguish  an  ill-bred  man  and  seven 
a  wise  man: — The  wise  man  (1.)  does  not  talk  before  his 
superior  in  wisdom  and  years;  (2.)  he  does  not  interrupt 
another  when  speaking ;  (3.)  he  is  not  hasty  to  make  reply ; 
(4.)  his  questions  are  to  the  point,  and  his  answers  are 
according  to  the  Halachah ;  (5.)  his  subjects  of  discourse 
are  orderly  arranged,  the  first  subject  first  and  the  last 
last ;  (6.)  if  he  has  not  heard  of  a  thing,  he  says,  I  have 
not  heard  it ;  and  (7.)  he  confesseth  the  truth.  The  charac- 
teristics of  the  ill-bred  man  are  just  the  contrary  of  these. 

Avoth,  chap.  5.  mish.  10. 

40.  If  a  man  does  not  work  during  the  six  days  of  the 
week,  he  may  be  obliged  to  work  all  the  seven. 

Avoth  (VRab.  Nathan,  chap.  n. 

41.  Seven  have  no  portion  in  the  world  to  come: — A 
notary,  a  schoolmaster,  the  best  of  physicians,  a  judge  who 
dispenses  justice  in  his  own  native  town,  a  wizard,  a  con- 
gregational reader  (or  law-officer),  and  a  butcher. 

Ibid.,  chap.  36. 

Note — The  reason  is  these  seven  are  apt  to  be  in  some  cases 
harsh,  in  others  unjust,  and  in  others  unscrupulous. 

42.  Seven  attributes  avail  before  the  Throne  of  Glory, 
and  these  are  : — Wisdom,  righteousness,  judgment,  grace, 
mercy,  truth,  and  peace.  Ibid.,  chap.  37. 

43.  Seven  epithets  are  applied  to  the  earth  in  the  Hebrew 
language  as  follows  :— TW2"  ■  nmn  •  **p"ltf  ■  HD1N  •  Y"1N  • 

-6n  ■  bin  ibid. 

44.  There  are  seven  points  in  which  a  righteous  man 
excels  another: — (1.)  The  wife  of  the  one  is  more  comely 


I  iS  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

than  the  other's ;  (2.)  so  are  the  children  of  the  one  as 
compared  with  those  of  the  other ;  (3.)  if  the  two  partake 
of  one  dish,  each  enjoys  the  taste  according  to  his  doings ; 
(4.)  if  the  two  dye  in  one  vat,  by  one  the  article  is  dyed 
properly,  by  the  other  not;  (5,  &c.)  the  one  excels  the 
other  in  wisdom,  in  understanding,  in  knowledge,  and 
stature,  as  it  is  said  (Prov.  xii.  26),  "  The  righteous  is  more 
excellent  than  his  neighbour." 

Avoth  aVRab.  Nathan,  chap.  37. 

45.  Seven  patriarchs  were  covenant-makers  : — Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  Moses,  Aaron,  Phinehas,  and  David. 

Derech  Eretz  Zuta,  chap.  1. 

46.  Seven  liquids  are  comprehended  under  the  generic 
term  drink  (Lev.  xi.  34) : — Dew,  water,  wine,  oil,  blood, 
milk,  and  honey.  Machshirin,  chap.  6,  mish.  6. 

47.  For  tertian  fever  take  seven  small  grapes  from  seven 
different  vines ;  seven  threads  from  seven  different  pieces 
of  cloth;  seven  nails  from  seven  different  bridges;  seven 
handfuls  of  ashes  from  seven  different  fireplaces ;  seven 
bits  of  pitch  from  seven  ships,  one  piece  from  each ;  seven 
scrapings  of  dust  from  as  many  separate  doorways ;  seven 
cummin  seeds  ;  seven  hairs  from  the  lower  jaw  of  a  dog  and 
tie  them  upon  the  throat  with  a  papyrus  fibre. 

Shabbath,  fol.  66,  col.  2. 


(     "9    ) 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  'EIGHTS'   OF  THE   TALMUD. 

I.  The  Rabbis  teach  that  the  precept  relating  to  the 
lighting  of  a  candle  at  the  Feast  of  Dedication  applies  to 
a  whole  household,  but  that  those  who  are  particular  light 
a  candle  for  each  individual  member,  and  those  that  are 
extremely  particular  light  up  eight  candles  on  the  first 
day,  seven  on  the  second,  decreasing  the  number  by  one 
each  day.  This  is  according  to  the  school  of  Shammai ; 
but  the  school  of  Hillel  say  that  he  should  light  up  one  on 
the  first  day,  two  on  the  second,  increasing  the  number 
by  one  each  of  the  eight  days  of  the  feast.  .  .  .  What  is 
the  origin  of  the  Feast  of  Dedication  ?  On  the  twenty- 
fifth  day  of  Kislev  (about  December),  the  eight  days  of 
the  Dedication  commence,  during  which  term  no  funeral 
oration  is  to  be  made,  nor  public  fast  to  be  decreed. 
When  the  Gentiles  (Greeks)  entered  the  second  Temple, 
it  was  thought  they  had  defiled  all  the  holy  oil  they  found 
in  it ;  but  when  the  Hasmoneans  prevailed  and  conquered 
them,  they  sought  and  found  still  one  jar  of  oil  stamped 
with  the  seal  of  the  High  Priest,  and  therefore  undefiled. 
Though  the  oil  it  contained  would  only  have  sufficed  for 
one  day,  a  miracle  was  performed  so  that  the  oil  lasted  to 
the  end  of  the  week  (during  which  time  more  oil  was  pro- 
vided and  consecrated  for  the  future  service  of  the  Temple^. 
On  the  anniversary  of  this  occasion  the  Feast  of  Dedica- 
tion was  instituted.  Shabbath,  fol.  21,  col.  2. 

Notes. — (a.)  The  Feast  of  Dedication  (n^D,  Chanuca,  the 
iyxaivia,  of  John  x.    22),  is  annually  celebrated  by  all 


120  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY, 

Jews  everywhere,  to  commemorate  the  purifying  of  the 
Temple  and  the  restoration  of  its  worship  after  its 
desecration  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  of  which  an  account 
may  be  found  in  i  Maccabees  iv.  52-59.  It  is  very 
probable  that  some  of  our  Christmas  festivities  are  only 
adaptations  of  the  observances  of  this  Jewish  feast  in 
symbolism  of  Christian  ideas.  During  the  eight  days 
of  the  festival  they  light  up  wax  candles  or  oil  lamps, 
according  to  the  rubric  of  the  school  of  Hillel.  Previous 
to  the  lighting,  the  following  benedictions  are  pro- 
nounced : — 

"  Blessed  art  Thou,  0  Lord,  our  God  !  King  of  the 
universe,  who  hath  sanctified  us  with  Thy  command- 
ment, and  commanded  us  to  light  the  light  of  Dedi- 
cation." 

"  Blessed  art  Thou,  0  Lord,  our  God  !  King  of  the 
universe,  who  wrought  miracles  for  our  fathers  in  those 
days  and  in  this  season." 

"  Blessed  art  Thou,  0  Lord,  our  God  !  King  of  the 
universe,  who  hath  preserved  us  alive,  sustained  us, 
and  brought  us  to  enjoy  this  season." 

(b.)  After  the  lighting,  the  following  form  is  repeated  : 
— "  These  lights  we  light  to  praise  Thee  for  the  miracles, 
wonders,  salvation,  and  victories  which  Thou  didst  per- 
form for  our  fathers  in  those  days  and  in  this  season  by 
the  hands  of  Thy  holy  priests.  Wherefore  by  command 
these  lights  are  holy  all  the  eight  days  of  the  Dedication, 
neither  are  we  permitted  to  make  any  other  use  of  them, 
but  to  view  them,  that  we  may  return  thanks  to  Thy 
name  for  Thy  miracles,  wonderful  works,  and  salvation." 

(c.)  Another  commemorative  formula  is  repeated  six 
or  seven  times  a  day  during  this  festival;  viz.,  during 
morning  and  evening  prayers  and  after  each  meal. 

2.  Rabbi  Yoshua  ben  Levi  has  said  a  man  should  never 
utter  an  indecent  word,  for  the  Scripture  (Gen.  vii.  6) 
uses  ei^ht  letters  more  rather  than  make  use  of  a  word 
which,  without  them,  would  be  indecent. 

P'sachim,  foL  3,  col.  1. 

Note. — In  the  passage  referred  to,  the  words  mnD  PB3*K  "IK'N 
(that  are  not  clean)  are  used  instead  of  nNE£  (unclean)  ; 
but  see  verse  2  ;  there  another  word  for  not  ($t?)  is  used, 
which  brings  down  the  excess  to  five  letters. 


CHAPTER  VIII  121 

3.  "When  the  doors  of  the  Temple  were  opened  the 
creaking  of  the  hinges  was  heard  at  the  distance  of  eight 
sabbath  days'  journeys.  Yoma,  fol.  39,  col.  2. 

Note — It  may  he  proper  to  remind  our  readers  that  the 
ri3B>  Dinn  is  about  nine  furlongs,  or  one  mile  and  one 
eighth,  so  that  the  distance  alluded  to  is  nearly  ten 
miles. 

4.  The  eight  princes  alluded  to  in  Micali  (v.  5)  are 
Jesse,  Saul,  Samuel,  Amos.  Zephaniah,  Zedekiah,  the 
Messiah,  and  Elijah.  Succah,  fol.  52,  col.  2. 

5.  It  is  related  of  Rabbi  Shimon,  the  son  of  Gamaliel, 
that  at  the  rejoicing  during  the  festival  of  the  drawing  of 
water  on  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  he  threw  eight  naming 
torches,  one  after  the  other  in  quick  succession,  into  the 
air,  and  caught  them  again  as  they  descended  without 
suffering  one  to  touch  another.  He  also  (in  fulfilment  of 
Ps.  cii.  14)  stooped  and  kissed  the  stone  floor,  supporting 
himself  upon  his  two  thumbs  only, — a  feat  which  no  one 
else  could  perform.  And  this  is  what  is  termed  stooping 
properly.  Ibid.,  fol.  53,  col.  1. 

6.  Levi  once  in  the  presence  of  Eabbi  (the  Holy)  con- 
jured with  eight  knives.  Samuel  in  the  presence  of  Shavur 
the  king  (of  Persia,  Sapor  1,  240-273)  performed  the  same 
feat  with  eight  cups  of  wine.  Abaii  in  the  presence  of 
Rava  did  likewise  with  eight  eggs;  some  say  with  four 
only.  Ibid. 

7.  Eight  prophets,  who  were  priests  as  well,  were  de- 
scended from  Rahab  the  harlot,  and  these  are  they : — 
Neraiah,  Baruch,  Seraiah,  Maaseiah,  Jeremiah,  Hilkiah, 
Hanameel,  and  Shallum.  Rabbi  Yehudah  says  Huldah 
the  prophetess  was  one  of  the  grandchildren  of  Rahab. 

Meggillah,  fol.  14,  col.  2. 

8.  The  last  eight  verses  of  the  Law  (Torah)  were  writ- 
ten by  Joshua.  Bava  Bathra,  fol.  14,  col.  1. 

Note. — There  is  a  touching  story  in  this  very  same  tract, 


122  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

fol.  15,  col.  1,  which  is  repeated  in  Menachoth,  fol.  30, 
col.  1,  and  noticed  by  Eashi  in  his  commentary,  to  the 
effect  that  Moses  himself  wrote  the  verses  which  record 
his  own  death  at  the  dictation  of  the  Almighty.  The 
account  literally  rendered  is,  "  The  Holy  One — blessed 
be  He  ! — spake,  and  Moses  wrote  in  tears."  "lDlX  PlTpn 
VD12  aroa  nvn). 

9.  There  are  eight  sects  of  Pharisees,  viz.,  these: — (1.) 
The  shoulder  Pharisee,  i.e.,  he  who,  as  it  were,  shoulders 
his  good  works  to  be  seen  of  men.  (2.)  The  time-gaining 
Pharisee,  he  who  says,  "  Wait  a  while ;  let  me  first  perform 
this  or  that  good  work."  (3.)  The  compounding  Pharisee, 
i.e.,  he  who  says,  "  May  my  few  sins  be  deducted  from  my 
many  virtues,  and  thus  atoned  for,"  (or  the  olood-letting 
Pharisee,  i.e.,  he  who  for  fear  lest  he  should  look  by 
chance  on  a  woman  shuts  his  eyes  and  wounds  his  face). 
(4.)  The  Pharisee  who  so  bends  his  back,  stooping  with  his 
head  towards  the  ground,  that  he  wears  the  appearance  of 
an  inverted  mortar.  (5.)  The  Pharisee  who  proudly  says, 
"  Eemains  there  a  virtue  which  I  ought  to  perform  and  have 
not  ?  "  (6.)  The  Pharisee  who  is  so  out  of  love  for  the  re- 
ward which  he  hopes  to  earn  by  his  observances.  (7.)  The 
Pharisee  who  is  so  from  fear  lest  he  should  expose  himself 
to  punishment.     (8.)  The  Pharisee  who  is  born  so. 

Avoth  d'Rab.  Nathan,  chap.  37. 
Note. — P)Oth  Talmuds  as  a  rule  enumerate  only  seven  sorts 
of  Pharisees  (T.  Yerush,  Berachoth,  fol.  13,  Sotah,  fol. 
20,  T.  Babli,  fol.  22,  col.  2,  and  elsewhere);  but  Eabbi 
Nathan,  as  above,  adds  a  new  species  to  the  genus. 
The  freehand  sketches  of  Pharisees  given  in  the  Tal- 
mud are  the  reverse  of  complimentary ;  but  rather  than 
instance  any  more  of  them  here,  we  prefer  to  subjoin 
the  words  of  the  late  E.  Deutsch,  who  was  a  Talmudist 
of  no  mean  repute ; — and  who  will  venture  to  stigmatise 
these  as  non  versiones  sed  eversiones  ?  We  quote  from 
the  "Quarterly  Eeview,"  vol.  exxiii.  p.  439.  ''The 
Talmud  inveighs  even  more  bitterly  and  caustically 
than  the  New  Testament  against  what  it  calls  '  the 
plague  of  Pharisaism,'  '  the  dyed  ones,'  '  who  do  evil 
deeds  like   Zimri,    and   require   a   goodly   reward   like 


CHAPTER  VIII.  123 

Phinehas,'  '  they  who  preach  beautifully,  but  do  not  act 
beautifully.'  Parodying  their  exaggerated  logical  ar- 
rangements, their  scrupulous  divisions  and  subdivisions, 
the  Talmud  distinguishes  seven  classes  of  Pharisees,  one 
of  whom  only  is  worthy  of  that  name.  The  real  and 
only  Pharisee  is  he  '  who  does  the  will  of  his  Father 
which  is  in  heaven  because  he  loves  Him.1 " 

to.  He  who  neglects  to  wear  phylacteries  transgresseth 
eight  commandments.  Menachoth,  fol.  44,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  following  extract  states  the  occasion  when  the 
wearing  of  phylacteries  was  prescribed  as  an  equivalent 
that  would  be  accepted  instead  of  the  observance  of 
the  law  : — "  Kabbi  Eliezer  said  the  Israelites  complained 
before  God  one  day,  '  We  are  anxious  to  be  occupied  day 
and  night  in  the  law,  but  we  have  not  the  necessary 
leisure.'  Then  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! — said  to 
them,  'Perform  the  commandment  of  the  phylacteries, 
and  I  will  count  it  as  if  you  were  occupied  day  and 
night  in  the  law.'"  (Yalhut  Shimeoni.)  Phylacteries, 
fringes,  and  Mezuzah,  these  three  preserve  one  from  sin ; 
as  it  is  said  (Eccl.  iv.  2),  "A  threefold  cord  is  not 
quickly  broken ; "  as  also  in  Ps.  xxxiv.  7,  "  The  angel 
of  the  Lord  encampeth  about  them  that  fear  Him,  and 
delivereth  them."     (Me?iachoth,  fol.  43,  col.  2.) 

1 1.  The  harp  in  the  time  of  the  Messiah  will  have  eight 
strings;  as  it  is  written  (Ps.  xii.  1),  "The  chief  musician 
upon  eight,"  &c.  Eirchin,  foL  13,  col.  2. 


(      124 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE   'NINES'    OF   THE   TALMUD. 

i.  On  the  ninth  day  of  the  month  Ab  (about  August) 
both  the  first  Temple  and  the  second  were  destroyed. 

Bosh  Hashanah,  fol.  18,  col.  2. 

Note. — In  2  Kings  xxv.  8,  the  seventh  of  Ab  is  the  date 
given  for  the  first  of  these  events,  whereas  Jeremiah 
(lii.  12)  mentions  the  tenth  as  the  fatal  day.  Josejjhus 
(Wars  of  the  Jews,  Book  vi.  chap.  4,  sec.  15)  coincides 
with  the  latter.      Query,  which  is  right  ? 

2.  On  the  ninth  of  Ab  one  must  abstain  from  eating 
and  drinking,  and  anointing  one's  self,  and  wearing  shoes, 
and  matrimonial  intercourse.  He  may  not  read  the  Bible, 
the  Talmud,  the  Midrash,  the  Halachoth,  or  the  Haggadoth, 
excepting  such  portions  as  he  is  not  in  the  habit  of  read- 
ing, such  he  may  then  read.  The  Lamentations,  Job,  and 
the  hard  words  of  Jeremiah  should  engage  his  study. 
Children  should  not  go  to  school  on  this  day,  because  it 
is  said  (Ps.  xix.  8),  "  The  statutes  of  the  Lord  are  right, 
rejoicing  the  heart."  Taant'th,  fol.  30,  col.  1. 

Note. — Nowadays,  on  the  date  referred  to,  Jews  do  not 
wear  their  tallith  and  phylacteries  at  morning  prayer; 
by  this  act  laying  aside  the  outward  signs  of  their  cove- 
nant with  God ;  but,  contrary  to  custom,  they  put  them 
on  in  the  evening,  when  the  fast  is  nearly  over. 

3.  He  who  does  any  work  on  the  ninth  of  Ab  will  never 
see  even  a  sign  of  blessing.  The  sages  say,  whoso  does 
any  work  on  that  day  and  does  not  lament  over  Jerusalem 


CHAPTER  IX.  135 

will  never  see  her  joy  ;  for  it  is  said  (Isa.  lxvi.  10),  "  Rejoice 
ye  with  Jerusalem,  and  be  glad  with  her;  rejoice  for  joy, 
all  ye  that  mourn  for  her."  Taanith,  fol.  30,  col.  2. 

4.  If  there  be  nine  shops  all  selling  the  meat  of  animals 
which  have  been  legally  butchered,  and  one  selling  the 
meat  of  animals  which  have  not,  and  if  a  person  who  has 
bought  meat  does  not  know  at  which  of  these  shops  he 
bought  it,  he  is  not  entitled  to  the  benefit  of  the  doubt ; 
the  meat  he  has  purchased  is  prohibited. 

Kethuboth,  fol.  15,  col.  1. 

5.  A  woman  prefers  one  measure  of  frivolity  to  nine 
measures  of  Pharisaic  sanctimoniousness  (.TWHS). 

Soteh,  fol.  20,  coL  1. 

iSoTE. — The  Talmud  has  much  to  say,  and  does  say  a  great 
deal,  about  women.  And  although  what  it  says  tends 
rather  to  discountenance  than  to  promote  their  develop- 
ment, it  is  not  insensible  to  what  they  might  become 
under  refinement  of  culture,  and  occasionally  enforces 
the  duty  of  attending  to  their  higher  education.  In 
proof  of  both  positions  we  appeal  to  the  following  quota- 
tions : — 

(a.)  In  the  Mishna,  from  which  the  above  quotation 
is  taken,  we  are  told  that  Ben  Azai  (the  son  of  impudence) 
says,  a  man  is  bound  to  instruct  his  daughter  in  the  law, 
although  Rabbi  Eliezer,  who  always  assumes  an  oracular 
air,  and  boasts,  DIpD  ^Dl  1J11D3  mbnw,  that  the  Halachah 
is  always  according  to  his  decision  (Bava  Metzia,  fol.  59, 
col.  2),  insists,  on  the  other  hand,  that  he  who  instructs 
his  daughter  in  the  law  must  be  considered  as  training 
her  into  habits  of  frivolity ;  and  the  saying  above  ascribes 
to  the  sex  such  a  power  of  frivolity  as  connects  itself 
evidently  with  the  foregone  conclusion  that  they  are  by 
nature  incapable  of  being  developed  into  any  solidity  of 
worth  or  character.  The  Gemara,  Tosephoth,  and  Rashi 
as  well  all  support  Rabbi  Eliezer  in  laying  a  veto  on 
female  education,  for  fear  lest,  with  the  acquisition  of 
knowledge,  women  might  become  cunning,  and  do  things 
on  the  sly  which  ought  not  to  be  done  by  them.     HDiriD^ 

mm  on:n  nenjn  rvoio-iy  rirao  s*n-   Literally  this 

is  : — For  from  it  (i.e.,  the  acquisition  of  knowledge)  she 


126  A   TALMUD IC  MISCELLANY. 

comes  to  understand  cunning,  and  does  things  on  the 
quiet.     (Soteh,  fol.  21,  col.  2,  Rashi.) 

(b.)  Another  good  reason  for  neglecting  female  educa- 
tion those  who  take  the  Talmud  as  an  authority  find 
in  these  words  :  ;n^y  TVbp  |njn  D*SW1,  women  are  light- 
minded,  i.e„  of  shallow  natural  endowment,  on  which 
any  serious  discipline  would  be  thrown  away.  (Kid- 
dushin,  fol.  80,  col.  2.) 

(c)  Another  argument  to  the  same  effect  is,  that  there 
is  no  distinct  command  in  the  law  of  Moses  inculcating 
the  duty ;  for  in  Deut.  xi.  19  it  is  merely  said,  "  And  ye 
shall  teach  them  to  your  children/'  a  command  which, 
as  it  passes  refracted  through  the  Rabbinic  medium,  be- 
comes  D3T1VQ  K/1  DD*33,  your  sons,  but  not  your  daughters. 
(Ibid.,  fol.  29,  col.  2.) 

(d.)  As  the  immediately  preceding  command,  so  inter- 
preted, cannot  be  carried  out  by  any  one  not  favoured 
with  male  children,  the  well-known  Talmudic  dictum 
acquires  force  and  point,  "  Blessed  is  the  man  whose 
children  are  sons,  but  luckless  is  he  whose  children  are 
daughters."     (Bava  Bathra,  fol.  16,  col.  2.) 

(e.)  More  on  this  topic  may  be  found  in  "Genesis 
according  to  the  Talmud"  (chap.  2,  ver.  23). 

6.  A  man  prefers  one  measure  obtained  by  his  own 
earning  to  nine  measures  collected  by  the  exertion  of  his 
neighbour.  Bava  Metzia,  fol.  38,  col.  1. 

Note. — This  is  thus  explained  by  Rashi: — "His  own  hab 
(measure),  the  remnant  of  his  own  labour,  is  dearer  to 
him  than  nine  kabs  of  others,  which  he  might  buy  with 
money  were  they  offered  in  the  market." 

7.  Nine  have  entered  alive  into  paradise,  and  these  are 
they  : — Enoch,  the  son  of  Jared ;  Elijah ;  the  Messiah  ; 
Eliezer,  the  servant  of  Abraham ;  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre ; 
Ebed  Melecb,  the  Ethiopian ;  Jabez,  the  son  of  Rabbi 
Yehuda  the  prince;  Bathia,  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh;  and 
Sarah,  the  daughter  of  Asher.  Some  say  also  Rabbi 
Yoshua,  the  son  of  Levi.  Derech  Eretz  Zuta,  chap.  1. 

Note. — As  the  last-mentioned  personage,  Rabbi  Yoshua, 
entered  paradise  "  not  by  the  door,"  but  some  "  other 
way,"  it  may  be  interesting  to  not  a  few  to  know  how 


CHAPTER  IX.  127 

he  succeeded,  and  here  accordingly  we  append  the  story 
of  the  feat.  As  Rabbi  Yoshua's  earthly  career  drew  to 
a  close,  the  angel  of  death  was  instructed  to  wait  upon 
him,  and  at  the  same  time  show  all  respect  for  his 
wishes.  The  Rabbi,  remarking  the  courteous  demeanour 
of  his  visitant,  requested  him,  before  he  despatched  him, 
to  favour  him  with  a  glimpse  of  the  place  he  was  to 
occupy  in  paradise  above,  and  meantime  commit  to  him 
his  sword,  as  a  gage  that  he  would  grant  his  petition  and 
not  take  advantage  of  him  on  the  journey.  This  request 
being  granted  and  the  sword  delivered  up,  the  Rabbi 
and  his  attendant  took  the  road,  pacing  along  till  they 
halted  together  just  outside  the  gates  of  the  celestial 
city.  Here  the  angel  assisted  the  Rabbi  to  climb  the 
wall,  and  proceeded  to  point  out  the  place  he  would 
occupy  some  day  in  the  future,  when  deftly  throwing 
himself  over,  he  left  the  angel  standing  outside  and  hold- 
ing him  fast  by  the  skirt  of  his  garment.  When  pressed 
to  return,  he  swore  he  would  not  go  back,  protesting 
that,  as  he  had  never  sought  to  be  relieved  of  the  obliga- 
tion of  his  oath  on  earth,  he  would  not  be  cajoled  or 
coerced  into  an  act  of  perjury  within  the  precincts  of 
heaven.  He  declined  at  first  to  give  up  the  sword  of  the 
angel,  and  would  have  stood  to  his  point  but  for  the 
echo  of  a  voice  which  peremptorily  ordered  its  imme- 
diate restoration.     (See  Kethuboth,  fol.  77,  col.  2.) 


(     123     ) 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE   '  TENS      OF   THE   TALMUD. 


1.  Where  is  it  taught  that  when  ten  join  together  in 
prayer  the  Shechinah  is  with  them?  In  Ps.  lxxxii.  i, 
where  it  is  said,  "  God  standeth  in  the  congregation  of  the 
mighty."  Berachoth,  fol.  6,  col.  i. 

Note. — According  to  Rabbinic  law,  it  takes  at  least  ten  men 
to  constitute  a  legally  convened  congregation.  Nearly  a 
thousand  pounds  were  expended  every  year  by  the  syna- 
gogues of  the  metropolis  to  hire  p»  (minyan)  men 
to  make  up  the  congregational  number,  and  thus  ensure 
the  due  observance  of  this  regulation.  (See  infra,  Nos. 
2  and  12.) 

2.  When  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — enters  the 
synagogue,  and  does  not  find  ten  men  present,  His  anger 
is  immediately  stirred ;  as  it  is  said  (Isa.  1.  2),  "  Wherefore, 
when  I  came,  was  there  no  man  ?  When  I  called,  there 
was  none  to  answer  ? "  Ibid.,  fol.  6,  coL  2. 

Note. — The  passion  of  anger  here  ascribed  to  God  is  by  not  a 
few  regarded  as  an  attribute  wholly  alien  to  the  proper 
nature  of  the  Deity.  Such,  however,  is  evidently  not  the 
judgment  of  the  Talmudists.  Nor  is  this  surprising  when 
we  see  elsewhere  how  boldly  they  conceive  and  how 
freely  they  speak  of  the  Divine  Majesty.  The  Rabbis 
are  not  in  general  a  shamefaced  generation,  and  are  all 
too  prone  to  deal  familiarly  with  the  most  sacred  realities. 
The  excerpts  which  follow  amply  justify  this  judgment. 

(a.)  God  is  represented  as  roaring  like  a  lion,  &c,  &c. 
(Berachoth,  fol.  3,  col.  1.     See  chap.  hi.  No.  1,  supra.) 

(b.)  God  is  said  to  wear  phylacteries.  (Ber-achoth, 
fol.  6,  col.  1.) 


CHAPTER  X.  129 

This  is  referred  to  in  the  morning  service  for  Y0111 
Kippur,  where  it  is  said  He  showed  "  the  knot  of  the 
phylacteries  to  the  meek  one  "  (i.e.,  Moses). 

(c.)  He  is  said  to  pray  ;  for  it  is  written  (Isa.  lvi  7), 
"  Them  will  I  bring  to  my  holy  mountain,  and  make 
them  joyful  in  the  house  of  *rAan,  rny  prayer."  It  is 
thus  He  prays  :  "  May  it  please  me  that  my  mercy  may 
overcome  my  anger,  that  all  my  attributes  may  be  in- 
vested with  compassion,  and  that  I  may  deal  with  my 
children  in  the  attribute  of  kindness,  and  that  out  of 
regard  to  them  I  may  pass  by  judgment."  (Berachoth, 
fol.  7,  col.  1.) 

(d. )  He  is  a  respecter  of  persoiis ;  as  it  is  written 
(Num.  vi.  26),  "  The  Lord  lift  up  His  countenance 
upon  thee."     (Ibid.,  fol.  20,  col.  2.) 

(e.)  When  accused  by  Elijah  of  having  turned  Israel's 
heart  back  again  (1  Kings  xviii.  37),  He  confesseth 
the  evil  He  had  done  (Micah  iv.  6).  (And.,  fol.  31, 
col.  2.) 

(/.)  God,  when  charged  by  Moses  as  being  the  cause 
of  Israel's  idolatry,  confesseth  the  justice  of  that  accusa- 
tion by  saying  (Num.  xiv.  20),  "I  have  pardoned  ac- 
cording to  thy  word."     (IJnd.,  fol.  32,  col.  1.) 

(g. )  He  drops  two  tears  into  the  ocean,  and  this  causes 
the  earth  to  quake.     (Ibid.,  fol.  59,  col.  1.) 

(h.)  He  is  represented  as  a  hairdresser  ;  for  it- is  said 
He  plaited  Eve's  hair  (and  some  have  actually  enume- 
rated the  braids  as  700).     (Eiruvin,  fol.  18,  col.  1.) 

In  a  Hagada  (see  Sanhedrin,  fol.  95,  col.  2),  God  is 
conceived  as  acting  the  barber  to  Sennacherib,  a  sort  of 
parody  on  Isaiah  vii.  20. 

(i. )  He  is  said  to  have  created  the  evil  as  well  as  the 
good,  passions  in  man.     (Berachoth,  fol.  61,  coL  1.) 

(/.)  God  weeps  every  day.  (Chaggigah,  fol.  3,  col.  2. 
See  chap.  iii.  No.  51  supra.) 

(k.)  He  dresses  Himself  in  a  veil  and  shows  Moses 
nbsn  T7D,  the  Jewish  Liturgy,  saying  unto  him, 
"When  the  Israelites  sin  against  me,  let  them  copy 
this  example,  and  I  will  pardon  their  sins."  (Rosli 
llashanah,  fol.  17,  col.  2.) 

(I)  God  is  said  to  have  regretted  creating  certain 
things.     (Succah,  fol.  52,  col.  2.     See  chap.  iv.  9  supra.) 

(m.)  God  is  represented  as  irrigating  the  land  of 
Israel,  but  leaving  the  rest  of  the  earth  to  be  watered 
by  an  angel.     (Taanith,  fol.  10,  col.  1.) 

1 


130  A   TALMUD1C  MISCELLANY. 

(n.)  It  is  said  that  He  will  make  a  dance  for  the 
righteous,  and  as  He  places  Himself  in  the  centre,  they 
will  point  at  Him  with  their  fingers,  and  say  (Isa.  xxv. 
9),  "  Behold,  this  is  our  God  ;  we  have  waited  for  Him  ; 
...  we  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  His  salvation." 
(Taanith,  fol.  31,  col.  1.) 

Note. — Non-Talmudic  readers  may  find  this,  and  much 
more  on  the  same  topic,  in  the  Machzor  for  Pente- 
cost (p.  100).  But  it  occurs  in  a  Piyut,  and  of 
course,  as  the  translator  remarks,  it  is  to  be  under- 
stood in  a  figurative  sense. 

(0.)  God  is  said  to  have  prevaricated  in  making  peace 
between  Abraham  and  Sarah,  which  is  not  so  surpris- 
ing ;  for  while  one  Rabbi  teaches  that  prevarication  is 
under  certain  circumstances  allowable,  another  asserts 
it  absolutely  as  a  duty ;  for  it  is  written  ( 1  Sam.  xvi. 
2),  "And  Samuel  said,  How  can  I  go?  if  Saul  hear 
it,  he  will  kill  me.  And  the  Lord  said,  Take  a  heifer 
with  thee,  and  say,  I  am  come  to  sacrifice  unto  the 
Lord."     (Yevamoth,  fol.  65,  col.  2.) 

Note. — This  teaching  may  be  easily  matched  by  par- 
allels from  heathen  literature,  but  we  have  room 
only  for  two  or  three  examples  : — Maximus  Tyrius 
says,  "There  is  nothing  (essentially)  decorous  in 
truth,  yea,  truth  is  sometimes  hurtful  and  lying 
profitable."  Darius  is  represented  by  Herodotus 
(Book  iii.,  p.  191 )  as  saying,  "When  telling  falsehood 
is  profitable,  let  it  be  told."  Menander  says,  "A 
lie  is  better  than  an  annoying  truth."  These  must 
suffice. 

(p.)  God  utters  a  curse  against  those  who  remain 
single  after  they  are  twenty  years  of  age  ;  and  those 
who  marry  at  sixteen  please  Him,  and  those  who  do  so 
at  fourteen  still  more.     (Kidditshin,  fol.  29,  col.  2.) 

(q.)  Elijah  binds  and  God  flogs  the  man  who  marries 
an  unsuitable  wife.     (Ibid.,  fol.  70,  col.  1.) 

(r.)  God  acknowledges  His  weakness  in  argument, 
*33  WIS!  *J3  OTWJ,  "  My  children  have  vanquished  me  ! 
my  children  have  vanquished  me  ! "  He  exclaims.  "  They 
have  defeated  me  in  argument."  (Bava  Metzi a,  fol.  59, 
col.  2.) 

(s.)  God's  decision  was  controverted  by  the  Academy  in 
heaven,  and  the  matter  in  debate  was  finally  settled  by  a 


CHAPTER  X.  131 

Eabbi,  who  had  to  be  summoned  from  earth  to  heaven 

expressly  to  adjudicate  in  the  case.     (Bava  Metzia,  fol. 

86,  col.  1.) 

Note. — The  classical  student  will  recognise  in  this  a 
parallel  to  the  Greek  myth  in  which  the  Olympian 
divinities  refer  their  debate  in  the  matter  of  the 
apple  of  discord  to  the  judgment  of  Paris.  May 
there  not  in  both  fables  lie  a  dim  forefeeling  of  the 
time  when  Justice  shall  transfer  her  seat  from  the 
skies,  so  that  whatever  her  ministers  bind  on  earth 
may  be  bound  in  heaven  1 

(t.)  God  will  bear  testimony  before  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth  that  His  people  Israel  have  kept  the  whole  of 
the  law.     (Avodah  Zarah,  fol.  3,  col.  1.) 

(u.)  God  is  occupied  for  twelve  liours  every  day  in 
study,  at  work,  or  at  play.  (See  ibid.,  fol.  3,  col.  2, 
and  chap.  11,  No.  16  infra.) 

(v.)  God  does  not  act  without  first  consulting  the 
assembly  above ;  as  it  is  said  (Dan.  iv.  1 7),  "  This  matter 
is  by  the  decree  of  the  watchers  and  the  demand  of  the 
word  of  the  Holy  One,"  &c.  (Sanhedrin,  fol.  38,  col.  2.) 
(w. )  God  Himself  is  described  as  exacting  an  atone- 
ment for  His  own  miscreations ;  as,  for  instance,  His 
diminishing  the  size  of  the  moon.  (Shevuoth,  fol.  9, 
col.  1.) 

Note. — Though  the  above  are  only  samples  of  more, 
enough  has  been  given  to  show  how  the  Rabbis 
deal  with  the  Divine,  and  how  this  too  often  figures 
in  their  imagination  only  as  a  huge  shadow  of  their 
own  distortions.  What  if  the  whole  be  but  a  cer- 
tain imaginative,  arbitrary  assertion  of  a  reconcilia- 
tion which  some  preach  and  all  anticipate  between 
the  human  and  the  Divine  1 

3.  The  general  height  of  the  Levites  was  ten  ells. 

Shabbath,  fol.  92,  col.  1. 
Note. — Moses  was  a  Levite,  and  he  was  of  that  stature.     See 
chap.  3,  No.  7  supra,  for  an  interesting  morceau  about 
this. 

4.  Ten  things  cause  hemorrhoids : — Eating  cane  leaves, 
the  foliage  and  tendrils  of  the  vine,  the  palate  of  cattle, 
the  backbones  of  fish,  half-cooked  salt  fish,  wine  lees,  &c. 

Beraclioth,  fol.  55,  col.  1. 


132  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

5.  Ten  things  provoke  a  desperate  relapse  in  a  con- 
valescent : — Eating  beef,  fat  meat,  broiled  meat,  fowl,  or 
roasted  eggs,  shaving,  eating  cress,  taking  milk  or  cheese, 
or  indulging  in  a  bath.  Some  say  also  eating  walnuts, 
others  say  eating  cucumbers,  which  are  as  dangerous  to 
the  body  as  swords.  Berachoth,  foL  57,  coL  2. 

6.  Ten  curses  were  pronounced  against  Eve  : — The  words 
"  greatly  multiply,"  "  thy  sorrow,"  (alluding  to  rearing  a 
family),  "  thy  conception,"  "  in  sorrow  shalt  thou  bring 
forth,"  "  thy  desire  shall  be  to  thy  husband,"  "  he  shall  rule 
over  thee,"  express  six  of  these.  The  remainder  are : — She 
should  be  wrapped  up  like  a  mourner  (that  is,  she  should 
not  appear  in  public  without  having  her  head  covered) ; 
she  was  restricted  to  one  husband,  though  he  might  have 
more  wives  than  one,  and  was  to  be  kept  within  doors  like 
a  prisoner.  Eiruvin,  fol.  100,  col.  2. 

7.  Ten  things  were  created  during  the  twilight  of  the  first 
Sabbath-eve.  These  were : — The  well  that  followed  Israel 
in  the  wilderness,  the  manna,  the  rainbow,  the  letters  of 
the  alphabet,  the  stylus,  the  tables  of  the  law,  the  grave  of 
Moses,  the  cave  in  which  Moses  and  Elijah  stood,  the 
opening  of  the  mouth  of  Balaam's  ass,  the  opening  of  the 
earth  to  swallow  the  wicked  (Korah  and  his  clique).  Rav 
Nechemiah  said,  in  his  father's  name,  also  fire  and  the 
mule.  Rav  Yosheyah,  in  his  father's  name,  added  also 
the  ram  which  Abraham  offered  up  instead  of  Isaac,  and 
the  Shameer.     Rav  Yehudah  says  the  tongs  also,  &c. 

P'sachim,  foL  54,  col.  1. 

8.  To  the  ten  things  said  to  have  been  created  on  Sab- 
bath-eve some  add  the  rod  of  Aaron  that  budded  and 
bloomed,  and  others  malignant  demons  and  the  garments 
of  Adam.  Ibid. 

9.  Rav  Yehuda  said,  in  the  name  of  Rav,  ten  things 
were  created  on  the  first  day : — Heaven  and  earth,  chaos 


CHAPTER  X. 


'33 


and  confusion,  light  and  darkness,  wind  and  water,  the 
measure  of  day  and  the  measure  of  night.  "  Heaven  and 
earth,"  for  it  is  written,  "  In  the  beginning  God  made  the 
heavens  and  the  earth."  "  Chaos  and  confusion,"  for  it  is 
written,  "  And  the  earth  was  chaos  and  confusion."  "  Li<?ht 
and  darkness,"  for  it  is  written,  "  And  darkness  was  upon 
the  face  of  the  abyss."  "  Wind  and  water,"  for  it  is 
written,  "  The  wind  of  God  hovered  over  the  face  of  the 
waters."  "  The  measure  of  day  and  the  measure  of  night," 
for  it  is  written,  "  Morning  and  evening  were  one  day." 

Chaggigah,  fol.  12,  col.  1. 

10.  Ten  facts  witness  to  the  presence  of  a  supernatural 
power  in  the  Temple : — No  premature  birth  was  ever 
caused  by  the  odour  of  the  sacrifices ;  the  carcases  never 
became  putrid ;  no  fly  was  ever  to  be  seen  in  the  slaughter- 
houses ;  the  high-priest  was  never  defiled  on  the  day  of 
atonement ;  no  defect  was  ever  found  in  the  wave-sheaf, 
the  two  wave-loaves,  or  the  shewbread ;  however  closely 
crowded  the  people  were,  every  one  had  room  enough  for 
prostration;  no  serpent  or  scorpion  ever  stung  a  person 
in  Jerusalem ;  and  no  one  had  ever  to  pass  the  night  with- 
out sleeping-accommodation  in  the  city. 

Yoma,  fol.  21,  col.  1. 

1 1 .  Tradition  teaches  that  Eabbi  Yossi  said  : — The  She- 
chinah  has  never  descended  below,  nor  did  Moses  and 
Elijah  ever  ascend  on  high;  for  it  is  said  (Ps.  cxv.  16), 
"  The  heavens,  even  the  heavens,  are  the  Lord's ;  but  the 
earth  hath  He  given  to  the  children  of  men."  True,  it  is 
written,  he  admitted  (Exod.  xix.  20),  "  And  the  Lord  came 
down  upon  Mount  Sinai ; "  but  that,  he  remarked,  was  ten 
handbreadths  above  the  summit.  And  true,  too,  is  it 
written  (Zech.  xiv.  4),  "  And  His  feet  shall  stand  in  that 
day  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives  ;  "  but  that,  too,  he  added,  is 
ten  handbreadths  above  it.  And  so,  in  like  manner,  Moses 
and  Elijah  halted  ten  handbreadths  from  heaven. 

Succah,  fol.  5,  coL  1. 


,134  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

12.  What  entitles  a  place  to  rank  as  a  large  town  ? 
When  there  are  in  it  ten  unemployed  men.  Should  there 
be  fewer  than  that  number,  it  is  to  be  looked  upon  as  a 
village.  Meggillah,  fol.  3,  coL  2. 

Note. — In  places  where  there  are  not  ten  Batlanim,  men  of 
leisure,  that  is,  men  always  free  to  be  present  at  every 
synagogue  service,  a  minyan  (number)  has  to  be  hired 
for  the  purpose.  The  notion  that  ten  constitutes  a  con- 
gregation is  based  on  the  authority  of  Num.  xiv.  27 
"  How  long  shall  I  bear  with  this  (my)  congregation  ?  " 
As  the  term  "  congregation  "  here  refers  to  the  ten  spies 
who  brought  the  evil  report,  it  is  concluded  forsooth  that 
ten  men,  and  never  less,  is  the  orthodox  minimum  for  a 
congregation.  We  have  already  referred  to  th£  tax 
which  the  synagogues  impose  upon  themselves  in  this 
country.  In  reference  to  this  regulation  in  the  Eeport 
of  the  United  and  Constituent  Synagogues  for  last  year 
(1878),  the  treasurers  say  "that  there  is  an  element 
of  absurdity  in  the  system  of  paying  officials  to  read, 
and  then  paying  other  officials  to  constitute  an  audience." 
The  "Jewish  World"  (January  31,  1879),  reviewing 
the  Eeport,  thus  remarks : — "  The  sooner  the  system 
is  weeded  out  the  better ;  it  is  productive  of  no  possible 
good ;  it  is  a  lasting  disgrace  to  a  community,  whose 
most  holy  charge,  and  whose  principal  bond  of  union 
and  element  of  homogeneity,  is  the  religion  which  they 
profess  to  hold  in  such  reverence." 

13.  Ten  lights,  said  he,  could  not  extinguish  one ;  how 
shall  one  extinguish  ten?  Ibid.,  fol.  16,  col.  2. 

Note. — These  words  are  said  to  have  been  spoken  by  Joseph 
to  his  brethren,  who,  after  the  death  of  their  father 
Jacob,  feared  lest  Joseph  should  revenge  himself  upon 
them  (Gen.  1.  21).  The  Midrash  and  the  Targums  as 
usual  furnish  much  additional  information. 


14.  Rav  Assi  said : — Nowadays,  if  a  Gentile  should 
betroth  a  Jewess,  there  is  reason  for  regarding  the  be- 
trothal as  not  therefore  invalid,  for  he  may  be  a  descendant 
of  the  ten  tribes,  and  so  one  of  the  seed  of  Israel. 

Yevamoth,  fol.  16,  col.  2. 


CHAPTER  X.  135 

15.  Eabbi  Yochanan  said: — If,  after  the  death  of  her 
husband,  a  woman  should  remain  unmarried  for  ten  years 
and  then  marry  again,  she  will  have  no  children.  Eav 
Nachman  added : — Provided  she  have  not  thought  of 
marrying  all  the  while ;  but  if  she  had  thought  of  marry- 
ing again,  in  that  case  she  will  have  children.  Eava  once 
said  to  Eav  Chisda's  daughter  (who  bore  children  to  Eava, 
though  she  did  not  marry  him  until  ten  years  after  her 
first  husband's  death),  "  The  Eabbis  have  their  doubts  about 
you."  She  replied,  "  I  had  always  set  my  heart  upon 
thee."  A  woman  once  said  to  Eav  Yoseph,  "I  waited 
ten  years  before  I  married  again,  and  then  I  had  children." 
"  Daughter,"  said  he,  "  do  not  bring  the  words  of  the  wise 
into  discredit.  It  is  thou,  not  they,  that  are  mistaken." 
Then  the  woman  confessed  that  she  had  been  a  trans- 
gressor. Yevamoth,  fol.  34,  col.  2. 

16.  The  Eabbis  teach  that  if  a  man  live  with  a  wife  ten 
years  without  issue  he  should  divorce  her  and  give  her 
the  prescribed  marriage  portion,  as  he  may  not  be  deemed 
worthy  to  be  built  up  by  her  (that  is,  to  have  children  by 
her).  Ibid.,  fol.  64,  col.  2. 

Note. — As  a  set-off  we  append  here  a  romantic  story  para- 
phrased from  the  Midrash  Shir  Hashirim.  A  certain 
Israelite  of  Sidon,  having  lived  many  years  with  his  wife 
without  being  blessed  with  offspring,  made  up  his  mind 
to  give  her  a  bill  of  divorcement.  They  went  accord- 
ingly together  to  Eabbi  Shimon  ben  Yochai,  that  legal 
effect  might  be  given  to  the  act  of  separation.  Upon 
presenting  themselves  before  him,  the  Eabbi  addressed 
them  in  these  fatherly  accents : — "  My  children,"  said 
he,  "  your  divorce  must  not  take  place  in  pettishness  or 
anger,  lest  people  should  surmise  something  guilty  or 
disgraceful  as  the  motive  for  the  action.  Let  your  part- 
ing, therefore,  be  like  your  meeting,  friendly  and  cheer- 
ful. Go  home,  make  a  feast,  and  invite  your  friends  to 
share  it  with  you ;  and  then  to-morrow  return  and  I 
will  ratify  the  divorce  you  seek  for."  Acting  upon  this 
advice,  they  went  home,  got  ready  a  feast,  invited  their 
friends,   and  made  merry   together.      "  My  dear,"  said 


A    TA LAW DIC  MISCELLANY. 

the  husband  at  length  to  his  wife,  "  we  have  lived  for 
many  a  long  year  lovingly  together,  and  now  that  we 
are  about  to  be  separated,  it  is  not  because  there  is 
any  ill-will  between  us,  but  simply  because  we  are 
not  blessed  with  a  family.  In  proof  that  my  love  is 
unchanged,  and  that  I  wish  thee  all  good,  I  give  thee 
leave  to  choose  whatever  thou  likest  best  in  the  house 
and  carry  it  away  with  thee."  The  wife  with  true 
womanly  wit  promptly  replied,  "Well  and  good,  my 
dear  ! "  The  evening  thereafter  glided  pleasantly  by, 
the  wine-cup  went  round  freely  and  without  stint,  and 
all  passed  off  well,  till  first  the  guests  one  by  one,  and 
then  the  master  of  the  house  himself,  fell  asleep,  and  lay 
buried  in  unconsciousness.  The  lady,  who  had  planned 
this  result,  and  only  waited  its  denouement,  immediately 
summoned  her  confidential  handmaids  and  had  her  lord 
and  master  gently  borne  away  as  he  was  to  the  house 
of  her  father.  On  the  following  morning,  as  the  stupor 
wore  off,  he  awoke,  rubbing  his  eyes  with  astonishment. 
"Where  am  IV  he  cried.  "Be  easy,  husband  dear," 
responded  the  wife  in  his  presence.  "  I  have  only  done 
as  thou  allowedst  me.  Dost  thou  remember  permitting 
me  last  night,  in  the  hearing  of  our  guests,  to  take  away 
from  our  house  whatever  best  pleased  me  1  There  was 
nothing  there  I  cared  for  so  much  as  thyself ;  thou  art 
all  in  all  to  me,  so  I  brought  thee  with  me  here.  Where 
I  am  there  shalt  thou  be  ;  let  nothing  but  death  part  us." 
The  two  thereupon  went  back  to  Rabbi  Shimon  as  ap- 
pointed, and  reported  their  change  of  purpose,  and  that 
they  had  made  up  their  minds  to  remain  united.  So 
the  Rabbi  prayed  for  them  to  the  Lord,  who  couples 
and  setteth  the  single  in  families.  He  then  spoke  his 
blessing  over  the  wife,  who  became  thenceforth  as  a 
fruitful  vine,  and  honoured  her  husband  with  children 
and  children's  children. 

A  parallel  to  this,  illustrative  of  wifely  devotion,  is 
recorded  in  the  early  history  of  Germany.  In  the  year 
1 141,  during  the  civil  war  in  Germany  between  the 
Guelphs  and  the  Ghibellines,  it  happened  that  the 
Emperor  Conrad  besieged  the  Guelph  Count  of  Bavaria  in 
the  Castle  of  Weinsberg.  After  a  long  and  obstinate 
defence  the  garrison  was  obliged  at  length  to  surrender, 
when  the  Emperor,  annoyed  that  they  had  held  out  so 
long  and  defied  him,  vowed  that  he  would  destroy  the 
place  with  fire  and  put  all  to  the  sword  except  the  wo- 


CHAPTER  X.  137 

men,  whom  he  gallantly  promised  to  let  go  free  and  pass 
out  unmolested.  The  Guelph  Countess,  when  she  heard 
of  this,  begged  as  a  further  favour  that  the  women 
might  be  allowed  to  bear  forth  as  much  of  their  valu- 
ables as  they  could  severally  manage  to  carry.  The 
Emperor  having  pledged  his  word  and  honour  that  he 
would  grant  this  request,  on  the  morrow  at  daybreak, 
as  the  castle  gates  opened,  he  saw  to  his  amazement  the 
women  file  out  one  by  one,  every  married  woman  carrying 
her  husband  with  her  young  ones  upon  her  back,  and 
the  others  each  the  friend  or  relation  nearest  and  dearest 
to  her.  At  sight  of  this,  the  Emperor  was  tenderly 
moved,  and  could  not  help  according  to  the  action  the 
homage  of  his  admiration.  The  result  was  that  not 
only  was  life  and  liberty  extended  to  the  Guelphs,  but 
the  place  itself  was  spared  and  restored  in  perpetuity  to 
its  heroic  defenders.  The  Count  and  his  Countess  were 
henceforth  treated  by  the  Emperor  with  honour  and 
affection,  and  the  town  itself  was  for  long  after  popu- 
larly known  by  the  name  of  Weibertreue,  i.e.,  the  abode 
of  womanly  fidelity. 

17.  Benedictory  condolences  are  recited  by  ten  men,  not 
reckoning  the  mourners ;  but  nuptial  blessings  are  recited 
by  ten  men,  including  the  bridegroom. 

Kethuboth,  foL  8,  col.  2. 

18.  The  Mishnic  Eabbis  have  ordained  that  ten  cups  of 
wine  be  drunk  in  the  house  by  the  funeral  party;  three 
before  supper,  to  whet  the  appetite ;  three  during  supper, 
to  aid  digestion ;  and  four  after  the  meal,  at  the  recitation 
of  the  four  benedictions.  Afterwards  four  complimentary 
cups  were  added,  one  in  honour  of  the  precentors,*  one  in 
honour  of  the  municipal  authorities,  another  in  remem- 
brance of  the  Temple,  and  the  fourth  in  memory  of  Eabbon 
Gamliel.  Drunkenness  so  often  ensued  on  these  occa- 
sions that  the  number  had  to  be  curtailed  to  the  original 
ten  cups.  The  toast  to  the  memory  of  Eabbon  Gamliel 
was  to  commemorate  his  endeavours  to  reduce  the  extrava- 

*  The  precentors  of  the  synagogue  were  either  readers  of  public  worship 
or  civil  officers. 


138  A  TALMUD IC  MISCELLANY, 

gant  expenses  at  burials,  and  the  consequent  abandonment 
of  the  dead  by  poor  relations.  He  left  orders  that  his  own 
remains  should  be  buried  in  a  linen  shroud,  and  since  then, 
says  Eav  Pappa,  corpses  are  buried  in  canvas  shrouds  about 
a  zouz  in  value.  Kethuboth,  fol.  8,  col.  2. 

19.  At  the  age  of  ten  years  a  child  should  begin  to 
study  the  Mishna.  Ibid.,  fol.  50,  col.  1. 

20.  Eabbi  the  Holy,  when  dying,  lifted  up  his  ten  fingers 
towards  heaven  and  said : — "  Lord  of  the  Universe,  it  is 
open  and  well-known  unto  Thee  that  with  these  ten 
fingers  I  have  laboured  without  ceasing  in  the  law,  and 
never  sought  after  any  worldly  profit  with  even  so  much 
as  my  little  finger;  may  it  therefore  please  Thee  that 
there  may  be  peace  in  my  rest !  '•'  A  voice  from  heaven 
immediately  responded  (Isa.  lvii.  2),  "  He  shall  enter 
peace  :  they  shall  rest  in  their  beds." 

Ibid.,  fol.  104,  col.  2. 

21.  Ten  measures  of  wisdom  came  down  to  the  world  ; 
the  land  of  Israel  received  nine  and  the  rest  of  the  world 
but  one  only.  Ten  measures  of  beauty  came  down  to  the 
world;  Jerusalem  monopolised  nine  and  the  rest  of  the 
world  had  only  one.  Ten  measures  of  riches  came  down 
to  the  world ;  Rome  laid  hold  of  nine  and  left  the  rest  of 
the  world  but  one  for  a  portion.  Ten  measures  of  poverty 
came  down  to  the  world ;  nine  fell  to  the  lot  of  Babylon 
and  one  to  the  rest  of  the  world.  Ten  measures  of  pride 
came  down  to  the  world ;  Elam  appropriated  nine  and  to 
the  rest  of  the  world  but  one  remained  over.  Ten  measures 
of  bravery  came  to  the  world ;  Persia  took  nine,  leaving 
but  one  for  the  rest  of  the  world.  Ten  measures  of  vermin 
came  to  the  world ;  nine  fell  to  the  Medes  and  one  to  the 
rest  of  the  world.  Ten  measures  of  sorcery  came  down 
to  the  world ;  Egypt  received  nine  and  one  was  shared  by 
the  rest  of  the  world.     Ten  measures  of  plagues  came 


CHAPTER  X.  139 

into  the  world ;  nine  measures  were  allotted  to  the  swine 
and  the  rest  of  the  world  had  the  other.  Ten  measures 
of  fornication  came  into  the  world ;  nine  of  these  belong 
to  the  Arabs  and  to  the  rest  of  the  world  the  other.  Ten 
measures  of  impudence  found  its  way  into  the  world ; 
Mishan  appropriated  nine,  leaving  one  to  the  rest  of  the 
world.  Ten  measures  of  talk  came  into  the  world ;  women 
claimed  nine,  leaving  the  tenth  to  the  rest  of  the  world. 
Ten  measures  of  early  rising  came  into  the  world  ;  they  of 
Ethiopia  received  nine  and  the  rest  of  the  world  one  only. 
Ten  measures  of  sleep  came  to  the  world;  the  servants 
took  nine  of  them,  leaving  one  measure  to  the  rest  of  the 
world.  Kiddushin,  fol.  49,  col.  2. 

22.  Ten  different  sorts  of  people  went  up  from  Baby- 
lon : — (1.)  Priests,  (2.)  Levites,  (3.)  Israelites,  (4.)  Dis- 
qualified Cohanim,  (5.)  Freedmen,  (6.)  Illegitimate,  (7.) 
Nethinim,  (8.)  Unaffiliated  ones,  and  (10.)  Foundlings. 

Ibid.,  fol.  63,  col.  1. 

23.  Ten  characteristics  mark  the  phlebotomist : — He 
walks  sideling  along ;  he  is  proud ;  he  stoops  awhile  before 
seating  himself ;  he  has  an  envious  and  evil  eye ;  he  is 
a  gourmand,  but  he  defecates  little  at  a  time ;  he  is  sus- 
pected of  incontinence,  robbery,  and  murder. 

Ibid.,  fol.  82,  col.  1. 

24.  Eabbi  Chanena  ben  Agil  asked  Eabbi  Cheya  ben 
Abba,  "  Why  does  the  word  2TI3  (i.e.,  that  it  may  be  well 
with  thee)  not  occur  in  the  first  copy  of  the  ten  command- 
ments (Exod.  xx.)  as  it  does  in  the  second  ? "  (Deut.  v.)  He 
replied,  "  Before  thou  askest  me  such  a  question,  first  tell 
me  whether  the  word  2113  occurs  in  Deuteronomy  or  not?  for 
I  don't  know  if  it  does."  The  required  answer  was  given  by 
another  Eabbi,  "  The  omission  of  the  word  21lD  in  the  first 
publication  of  the  ten  commandments  is  due  to  the  fore- 
sight of  what  was  to  befall  the  first  tables,  for  if  the  word 


Mo  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

3110  (or  good)  had  been  in  the  tables,  and  broken  withal,  then 
goodness  would  have  ceased  to  bless  the  sons  of  Israel." 

Bava  Kama,  fol.  55,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  Tosephoth  in  Bava  Bathra  (fol.  113,  col.  1)  in- 
genuously admits  that  the  Rabbis  were  occasionally 
ignorant  of  the  letter  of  Scripture.  The  above  quota- 
tion may  be  taken  as  a  sample  of  several  in  corroboration. 
(See  also  chap.  xi.  No.  33  infra.) 

25.  The  Eabbis  have  taught  that  when  pestilence  is 
abroad  no  one  should  walk  alon^  the  middle  of  the  road, 
for  there  the  angel  of  death  would  be  sure  to  cross  him. 
Neither  when  there  is  pestilence  in  a  town  should  a  per- 
son go  to  the  synagogue  alone,  because  there,  provided  no 
children  are  taught  there,  and  ten  men  are  not  met  to  pray 
there,  the  angel  of  death  hides  his  weapons.  The  Rabbis 
have  also  taught  that  (like  the  Banshee  of  Ireland),  the 
howling  of  dogs  indicates  the  approach  of  the  angel  of  death, 
whereas  when  they  sport  it  is  a  sign  that  Elijah  the  pro- 
phet is  at  hand,  unless  one  of  them  happen  to  be  a  female, 
for  it  is  her  presence  among  them,  and  not  any  super- 
natural instinct,  that  is  to  be  understood  as  the  cause  of 
the  demonstration.  Ibid.,  foL  60,  col.  2. 

26.  Ten  constitutions  were  founded  by  Ezra : — The  read- 
ing of  a  portion  of  Scripture  during  the  afternoon  prayers 
on  the  Sabbath-day,  and  during  morning  prayers  on  the 
second  and  fifth  days  of  the  week  (a  rule  that  is  to  this 
day  observed  in  orthodox  places  of  worship),  and  this  for 
the  reason  that  three  days  should  not  pass  by  without 
such  an  exercise ;  *  to  hold  courts  for  the  due  administra- 
tion of  justice  on  the  second  and  fifth  days  of  the  week, 
when  the  country  people  came  to  hear  the  public  reading 
of  the  Scriptures ;  to  wash  their  garments,  &c,  on  the  fifth 
day,  and  to  prepare  for  the  coming  Sabbath ;  to  eat  garlic 

*  See  Exod.  xv.  22-24  for  the  reason  of  this.  The  children  of  Israel  had 
gone  three  days  in  the  wilderness  and  had  found  no  water  (that  is,  the  Word 
of  God),  and  they  murmured,  kc. 


CHAPTER  X.  141 

on  the  sixth  day  of  the  week,  as  this  vegetable  has  the  pro- 
perty of  promoting  secretions  (see  Exod.  xxi.  10);  that 
the  wife  should  be  rip  betimes  and  bake  the  bread,  so  as 
to  have  some  ready  in  case  any  one  should  come  begging ; 
that  the  women  should  wear  a  girdle  round  the  waist  for 
decency  sake  ;  that  they  should  comb  their  hair  before  bath- 
ing ;  that  pedlars  should  hawk  perfumes  about  the  streets 
in  order  that  women  should  supply  themselves  with  such 
things  as  will  attract  and  please  their  husbands ;  and  that 
certain  unfortunates  (see  Lev.  xv.)  should  bathe  themselves 
before  they  came  to  the  public  reading  of  the  law. 

Bava  Kama,  foL  82,  coL  1. 

27.  Ten  things  are  said  about  Jerusalem: — (1.)  No 
mortgaged  house  was  ever  eventually  alienated  from  its 
original  owner  (which  was  the  case  elsewhere  in  Jewry). 
(2.)  Jerusalem  never  had  occasion  to  behead  a  heifer  by 
way  of  expiation  for  an  unproved  murder  (see  Deut.  xxi. 
1-9).  (3.)  She  never  could  be  regarded  as  a  repudiated 
city  (Deut.  xiii.  12,  &c).  (4.)  No  appearance  of  plagues 
in  any  house  at  Jerusalem  rendered  the  house  unclean, 
because  the  words  of  Lev.  xiv.  34  are  "  your  possession," 
an  expression  which  could  not  apply  to  Jerusalem,  as  it 
had  never  been  portioned  among  the  ten  tribes.  (5.)  Pro- 
jecting cornices  and  balconies  were  not  to  be  built  in  the 
city.  (6.)  Limekilns  were  not  to  be  erected  there.  (7.) 
No  refuse- heaps  were  allowed  in  any  quarter.  (8.)  No 
orchards  or  gardens  were  permitted,  excepting  certain 
flower-gardens,  which  had  been  there  from  the  times  of 
the  earlier  prophets.  (9.)  No  cocks  were  reared  in  Jeru- 
salem. (10.)  No  corpse  ever  remained  over  night  within 
its  walls ;  the  funeral  had  to  take  place  on  the  day  of 
decease.  Ibid.,  fol.  82,  col.  2. 

28.  In  the  Book  of  Psalms  David  included  those  which 
were  composed  by  ten  elders  : — Adam  (Ps.  cxxxix.) ;  Mel- 
chizedek  (Ps.  ex.);   Abraham  (Ps.  lxxxix.);   Moses  (Ps. 


142  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

xc);  the  others  alluded  to  were  by  Heman,  Jeduthun, 
Asaph,  and  the  three  sons  of  Korah. 

Bava  Bathra,  fol.  14,  col.  2. 

29.  A  man  once  overheard  his  wife  telling  her  daughter 
that,  though  she  had  ten  sons,  only  one  of  them  could 
fairly  claim  her  husband  as  his  father.  After  the  father's 
death  it  was  found  that  he  had  bequeathed  all  his  pro- 
perty to  one  son,  but  that  the  testament  did  not  mention 
his  name.  The  question  therefore  arose,  which  of  the 
ten  was  intended  ?  So  they  came  one  and  all  to  Eabbi 
Benaah  and  asked  him  to  arbitrate  between  them.  "  Go," 
said  he  to  them,  "  and  beat  at  your  fathers  grave,  until 
he  rises  to  tell  you  to  which  of  you  it  was  that  he  left  the 
property."  All  except  one  did  so ;  and  he,  because  by  so 
doing  he  showed  most  respect  for  his  father's  memory,  was 
presumed  to  be  the  one  on  whom  the  father  had  fixed 
his  affections ;  he  accordingly  was  supposed  to  be  the  one 
intended,  and  the  others  were  therefore  excluded  from 
the  patrimony.  The  disappointed  ones  went  straight  to 
the  government  and  denounced  the  Eabbi.  "  Here  is  a 
man,"  said  they,  "  who  arbitrarily  deprives  people  of  their 
rights,  without  proof  or  witnesses."  The  consequence 
was  that  the  Rabbi  was  sent  to  prison,  but  he  gave  the 
authorities  such  evidence  of  his  shrewdness  and  sense  of 
justice,  that  he  was  soon  restored  to  freedom. 

Ibid.,  fol.  58,  col.  1. 

30.  Till  ten  generations  have  passed  speak  thou  not 
contemptuously  of  the  Gentiles  in  the  hearing  of  a  pro- 
selyte. Sanhedrin,  fol.  94,  col.  1. 

31.  The  ten  tribes  will  never  be  restored,  for  it  is  said 
(Deut.  xxiii.  28),  "God  cast  them  into  another  land,  as  it 
is  this  day."  As  this  day  passes  away  without  return,  so 
also  they  have  passed  away  never  more  to  return.  So  says 
Eabbi  Akiva,  but  Eabbi  Eleazar  says,  "  *  As  it  is  this  day ' 
implies  that,  as  the  day  darkens  and  lightens  up  again,  so 


CHAPTER  X.  143 

the  ten  tribes  now  in  darkness  shall  in  the  future  be  restored 
to  light."  The  Eabbis  have  thus  taught  that  the  ten  tribes 
will  have  no  portion  in  the  world  to  come ;  for  it  is  said 
(Deut.  xxix.  28),  "  And  the  Lord  rooted  them  out  of  their 
land  in  anger,  and  in  wrath,  and  in  great  indignation." 
"  And  He  rooted  them  out  of  their  land,"  that  is,  from  this 
world,  "  and  cast  them  into  another  land,"  that  is,  the 
world  to  come.  So  says  Kabbi  Akiva.  Rabbi  Shimon 
ben  Yehuda  says,  "  If  their  designs  continue  as  they  are 
at  this  day,  they  will  not  return,  but  if  they  repent  they 
will  return."  Rabbi  (the  Holy)  says,  "  They  will  enter 
the  world  to  come,  for  it  is  said  (Isa.  xxvii.  1 3),  '  And  it 
shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day  that  the  great  trumpet 
shall  be  blown,  and  they  shall  come  which  were  ready  to 
perish.'"  Sanhedrin,  fol.  no,  col.  2. 

32.  Ten  things  are  detrimental  to  study: — Going  under 
the  halter  of  a  camel,  and  still  more  passing  under  its 
body ;  walking  between  two  camels  or  between  two  wo- 
men ;  *  to  be  one  of  two  men  that  a  woman  passes  between  ; 
to  go  where  the  atmosphere  is  tainted  by  a  corpse ;  to 
pass  under  a  bridge  beneath  which  no  water  has  flowed 
for  forty  days ;  to  eat  with  a  ladle  that  has  been  used  for 
culinary  purposes ;  to  drink  water  that  runs  through  a 
cemetery.  It  is  also  dangerous  to  look  at  the  face  of  a 
corpse,  and  some  say  also  to  read  inscriptions  on  tomb- 
stones. Horayoth,  fol.  13,  col.  2. 

33.  Ten  strong  things  were  created  in  the  world  (of 
which  the  one  that  comes  after  is  stronger  than  that 
which  preceded).  A  mountain  is  strong,  but  iron  can 
hew  it  in  pieces ;  the  fire  weakens  the  iron ;  the  water 
quenches  the  fire ;  the  clouds  carry  off  the  water ;  the 
wind  disperses  the  clouds  ;  the  living  body  resists  the 
wind  ;  fear  enervates  the  body  ;  wine  abolishes  fear ;  sleep 
overcomes  wine,  and  death  is  stronger  than  all  together; 
yet  it  is  written  (Prov.  x.  2),  "And  alms  delivereth  from 

*  See  chap.  iii.  No.  22  supra. 


j 44  A   TALMUD IC  MISCELLANY. 

death  "  (the  original  word,  HpliJ,  has  two  meanings,  right- 
eousness and  alms).  Bava  Bathra,  fol.  10,  coL  i. 

34.  With  the  utterance  of  ten  words  was  the  wTorld 
created.  Avoth,  chap.  5,  mish.  1. 

35.  There  were  ten  generations  from  Adam  to  Noah, 
to  show  how  great  is  God's  long-suffering,  for  each  of 
these  went  on  provoking  Him  more  and  more,  till  His 
forbearance  relenting,  He  brought  the  flood  upon  them. 

Ibid.,  mish.  2. 

36.  There  were  ten  generations  from  Noah  to  Abraham, 
to  show  that  God  is  long-suffering,  since  all  those  sue- 
ceeding  generations  provoked  Him,  until  Abraham  came, 
and  he  received  the  reward  that  belonged  to  all  of  them. 

Ibid.,  mish.  3. 
Note. — The  greatest  sinner  is  uniformly  presumed  through- 
out the  Talmud  to  have  a  certain  amount  of  merit,  and 
therefore  a  corresponding  title  to  reward  (see  chap.  2, 
No.  10  =  Ps.  xxxvii.  35-37).  Much  of  this  last  is 
enjoyed  by  the  wicked  themselves  in  the  present  world, 
and  the  surplus  is  often  transferred  to  the  credit  of  the 
righteous  in  the  world  to  come  (see  "  Genesis,"  page  482, 
No.  173  =  Matt.  xiii.  12). 

37.  Abraham  our  father  was  tested  ten  times ;  in  every 
case  he  stood  firm ;  which  shows  how  great  the  love  of 
our  father  Abraham  was.  Ibid.,  mish.  4. 

38.  Ten  miracles  were  wrought  for  our  forefathers  in 
Egypt,  and  ten  at  the  Red  Sea.  Ten  plagues  did  the  Holy 
One — blessed  be  He  I — inflict  on  the  Egyptians  in  Egypt, 
and  ten  at  the  sea.  Ten  times  did  our  ancestors  tempt 
God  in  the  wilderness,  as  it  is  said  (Num.  xiv.  22),  "And 
have  tempted  me  now  these  ten  times,  and  have  not 
hearkened  to  my  voice."  Ibid.,  mish.  5,  6,  7. 

39.  Ten  times  did  God  test  our  forefathers,  and  they 
were  not  so  much  as  once  found  to  be  perfect. 

Avoth  d'Rab.  Nathan,  chap.  34. 


CHAPTER  X.  145 

40.  Ten  times  the  Shechinah  came  down  unto  the 
world : — At  the  garden  of  Eden  (Gen.  iii.  8) ;  at  the  time 
of  the  Tower  (Gen.  xi.  5);  at  Sodom  (Gen.  xviii.  21);  in 
Egypt  (Exod.  iii.  8) ;  at  the  Eed  Sea  (Ps.  xviii.  9) ;  on 
Mount  Sinai  (Exod.  xix.  20) ;  into  the  Temple  (Ezek.  xliv. 
2) ;  in  the  pillar  of  cloud  (Xum.  xi.  25).  It  will  descend 
in  the  days  of  Gog  and  Magog,  for  it  is  said  (Zech.  xiv.  4), 
"  And  His  feet  shall  stand  in  that  day  upon  the  Mount 
of  Olives  "  (the  tenth  is  omitted  in  the  original.) 

Avoth  cVRab.  Nathan,  chap.  34. 

41.  The  Shechinah  made  ten  gradual  ascents  in  passing 
from  place  to  place  : — From  the  cover  of  the  ark  to 
the  cherub  (2  Sam.  xxii.  11);  thence  to  the  threshold 
of  the  house  (Ezek.  ix.  3) ;  thence  to  the  cherubim  (Ezek. 
x.  18);  thence  to  the  roof  of  the  Temple  (Prov.  xxi.  9); 
thence  to  the  wall  of  the  court  (Amos  vii.  7)  ;  thence 
to  the  altar  (Amos  ix.  1) ;  thence  to  the  city  (Micah  vi. 
9) ;  thence  to  the  mount  (Ezek.  xi.  23) ;  thence  to  the 
wilderness  (Prov.  xxi.  9) ;  whence  the  Shechinah  went 
up,  as  it  is  said  (Hosea  v.  15),  "  I  will  go  and  return  to 
my  place."  Ibid. 

42.  Ten  different  terms  are   used  to  designate   idols. 

,D^N  ,D^1DSJ  JTDDB  ^b^l  ,DWp» 
,D*3"in  ,pK  ,MSP  ,D\2OT  ,DHnM* 

Ibid. 

43.  Ten  different  terms  are  employed  to  express  the 
title  of  prophet: — Ambassador,  Faithful,  Servant,  Mes- 
senger, Seer,  Watchman,  Seer  of  Vision,  Dreamer,  Pro- 
phet,  Man  of  God.  Ibid. 

44.  Ten  distinct  designations  are  applied  to  the  Holy 
Spirit: — Proverb,  Interpretation,  Dark  Saying,  Oracle, 
Utterance,  Decree,  Burden,  Prophecy,  Vision.  Ibid. 

45.  Joy  is  expressed  in  Hebrew  by  ten  different  terms, 

mrxsn  rrnn  nrby  ,rhm  ,mn  ,n:m  ,n^  ,nnOT  >)ww 


146  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

46.  Ten  are  designated  by  the  term  Life  or  Living  s — 
God,  the  law,  Israel,  the  righteous,  the  garden  of  Eden, 
the  tree  of  life,  the  land  of  Israel,  Jerusalem,  benevolence, 
the  sages ;  and  water  also  is  described  as  life,  as  it  is  said 
(Zech.  xiv.  8),  "And  it  shall  be  in  that  day  that  living 
water  shall  go  out  from  Jerusalem." 

Avoth  d'Bab.  Nathan,  chap.  34. 

47.  If  there  are  ten  beds  piled  upon  one  another,  and 
if  beneath  the  lowermost  there  be  any  tissue  woven  of 
linen  and  wool  (Lev.  xix.  19),  it  is  unlawful  to  lie  down 
upon  them.  Tamid,  fol.  27,  col.  2. 

48.  Alexander  of  Macedon  proposed  ten  queries  to  the 
elders  of  the  south : — "  Which  are  more  remote  from  each 
other,  the  heavens  from  the  earth  or  the  east  from  the 
west  ? "  They  answered,  "  The  east  is  more  remote  from 
the  west,  for  when  the  sun  is  either  in  the  east  or  in  the 
west,  any  one  can  gaze  upon  him ;  but  when  the  sun  is  in 
the  zenith  or  heaven,  none  can  gaze  at  him,  he  is  so  much 
nearer."  The  Mishnaic  Rabbis,  on  the  other  hand,  say  they 
are  equidistant;  for  it  is  written  (Ps.  ciii.  II,  12),  "As 
the  heavens  are  from  the  earth,  ...  so  is  the  east  removed 
from  the  west."  Alexander  then  asked,  "Were  the 
heavens  created  first  or  was  the  earth  ? "  "  The  heavens," 
they  replied,  "  for  it  is  said,  '  In  the  beginning  God 
created  the  heavens  and  the  earth.' "  He  then  asked, 
"  Was  light  created  first  or  was  darkness  ? "  They  re- 
plied, "  This  is  an  unanswerable  question."  They  should 
have  answered  darkness  was  created  first,  for  it  is  said, 
"  And  the  earth  was  without  form  and  void,  and  darkness 
was  upon  the  face  of  the  deep,"  and  after  this,  "And 
God  said,  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light." 

Ibid. j  fol.  31,  col.  2. 

49.  There  are  ten  degrees  of  holiness,  and  the  land  of 
Israel  is  holy  above  all  other  lands. 

Kelim,  chap.  1,  mish.  6. 


CHAPTER  X.  147 

50.  There  are  ten  places  which,  though  Gentile  habita- 
tions, are  not  considered  unclean: — (1.)  Arab  tents;  (2.) 
A  watchman's  hut ;  (3.)  The  top  of  a  tower ;  (4.)  A  fruit- 
store  ;  (5.)  A  summer-house ;  (6.)  A  gatekeeper's  lodge ; 
(7.)  An  uncovered  courtyard ;  (8.)  A  bath-house ;  (9.) 
An  armoury;  (10.)  A  military  camp. 

Oholoth,  chap.  18,  mish.  10. 

51.  "An  Ammonite  or  Moabite  shall  not  enter  the  con- 
gregation of  the  Lord,  even  to  the  tenth  generation,"  &c. 
(Deut.  xxiii.  4).  One  day  Yehuda,  an  Ammonite  pro- 
phet, came  into  the  academy  and  asked,  "  May  I  enter 
the  congregation  (if  I  marry  a  Jewess)  ? "  Kabban  Gam- 
liel  said  unto  him,  "  Thou  art  not  at  liberty  to  do  so ; " 
but  Eabbi  Joshua  interposed  and  maintained,  "  He  is 
at  liberty  to  do  so."  Then  Eabban  Gamliel  appealed  to 
Scripture,  which  saith,  "  An  Ammonite  or  Moabite  shall 
not  enter  into  the  congregation  of  the  Lord,  even  to  the 
tenth  generation."  To  this  Eabbi  Joshua  retorted  and 
asked,  "  Are  then  these  nations  still  in  their  own  native 
places  ?  Did  not  Sennacherib,  the  king  of  Assyria,  trans- 
plant the  nations  ?  as  it  is  said  (Isa.  x.  1 3)/  I  have  removed 
the  bounds  of  the  people,  and  have  robbed  their  treasures, 
and  have  put  down  the  valour  of  the  inhabitants.'" 
Eabban  Gamliel  replied,  "  Scripture  saith  (Jer.  xlix.  6), 
'  Afterward  I  will  bring  again  the  captivity  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Ammon,'  and  so,"  he  argued,  "  they  must  have 
already  returned."  Eabbi  Joshua  then  promptly  rejoined, 
"  Scripture  saith  (Jer.  xxx.  3),  '  I  will  bring  again  the 
captivity  of  my  people  Israel  and  Judah/  and  these  have 
not  returned  yet."  And  on  this  reasoning  the  proselyte 
was  permitted  to  enter  the  congregation. 

Yadayim,  chap.  4,  mish.  4. 


(     148    ) 


CHAPTEE  XL 

TALMUDIC  NUMBERS  RANGING  FROM   'ELEVEN'   TO 
'  NINETY-NINE '   INCLUSIVE. 

1.  Go  and  learn  from  the  tariff  of  donkey-drivers,  ten 
miles  for  one  zouz,  eleven  for  two  zouzim. 

Chaggigah,  fol.  9,  col.  2. 

2.  When  Israel  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  attend  the 
festivals,  they  had  to  stand  in  the  Temple  court  closely 
crowded  together,  yet  when  prostrated  there  was  a  wide 
space  between  each  of  them  (Eashi  says  about  four  ells), 
so  that  they  could  not  hear  each  other's  confession,  which 
might  have  caused  them  to  blush.  They  had,  however, 
when  prostrated,  to  extend  eleven  ells  behind  the  Holy  of 
Holies  (rmSDn  JTO).  Yoma,  fol.  21,  col.  1. 

3.  In  the  days  of  Joel,  the  son  of  Pethuel,  there  was 
a  great  dearth,  because  (as  is  said  in  Joel  i.  4)  "  That 
which  the  palmerworm  hath  left  hath  the  locust  eaten," 
&c.  That  year  the  month  of  Adar  (about  March)  passed 
away  and  no  rain  came.  When  some  rain  fell,  during  the 
f  ollowicg  month,  the  prophet  said  unto  Israel,  "  Go  ye 
forth  and  sow."  They  replied,  "  Shall  he  who  has  but 
a  measure  or  two  of  wheat  or  barley  eat  and  live  or  sow 
it  and  die  ? "  Still  the  prophet  urged,  "  Go  forth  and  sow." 
Then  they  obeyed  the  prophet,  and  in  eleven  days  the  seed 
had  grown  and  ripened ;  and  it  is  with  reference  to  that 
generation  that  it  is  said  (Ps.  cxxvi.  5),  "  They  that  sow 
in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy."  Taanith,  fol.  5,  col.  1. 


CHAPTER  XL  149 

4.  What  is  a  female  in  her  minority  ?  One  who  is 
between  eleven  years  and  one  day,  and  twelve  years  and  one 
day.  When  younger  or  older  than  these  ages  she  is  to  be 
treated  in  the  usual  manner.       Yevamoth,  fol.  100,  col.  2. 

5.  Whoever  gives  &prutah  to  a  poor  man  has  six  bless- 
ings bestowed  upon  him,  and  he  that  speaks  a  kind  word 
to  him  realises  eleven  blessings  in  himself  (see  Isa.  lviii. 
7,  8).  Bava  Bathra,  fol.  9,  col.  2. 

Note. — (a.)  On  the  next  page  of  the  same  tract  it  is  said, 
"  For  one  prut  ah  given  as  alms  to  a  poor  man  one  is 
made  partaker  of  the  beatific  vision."  (See  also  Midrash 
Tillim  on  Ps.  xvii.  15.) 

(6.)  The  prutah  was  the  smallest  coin  then  current. 
It  is  estimated  to  have  been  equal  to  about  one-twentieth 
of  an  English  penny.  In  some  quarters  of  Poland  the 
Jews  have  small  thin  bits  of  brass,  with  the  Hebrew 
word  ntOIIQ  (prutah)  impressed  upon  them,  for  the  uses 
in  charity  on  the  part  of  those  among  them  that  cannot 
afford  to  give  a  kreutzer  to  a  poor  man.  The  poor, 
when  they  have  collected  a  number  of  these,  change 
them  into  larger  coin  at  the  almoner's  appointed  by 
the  congregation.  Thus  even  the  poor  are  enabled  to 
give  alms  to  the  poor.  (See  my  "Genesis,"  p.  277, 
Xo.  31.) 

6.  Rabbi  Yochanan  said  eleven  sorts  of  spices  were  men- 
tioned to  Moses  on  Sinai.  Rav  Hunna  asked,  "  What  Scrip- 
ture text  proves  this  ? "  (Exod.  xxx.  34),  "  Take  unto  thee 
sweet  spices  "  (the  plural  implying  two),  "  stacte,  myrrh, 
and  galbanum  "  (these  three  thus  making  up  five),  "  sweet 
spices  "  (the  repetition  doubling  the  five  into  ten),  "  with 
pure  frankincense  "  (which  makes  up  eleven). 

Kerithoth,  fol.  6,  col.  2. 

7.  "  Zion  said,  The  Lord  hath  forsaken  and  forgotten 
me  "  (Isa.  xlix.  14).  The  community  of  Israel  once  pleaded 
thus  with  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! — "Even  a  man 
who  marries  a  second  wife  still  bears  in  mind  the  services 
of  the  first,  but  Thou,  Lord,  hast  forgotten  me."    The  Holy 


150  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

One — blessed  be  He  ! — replied,  "  Daughter,  I  have  created 
twelve  constellations  in  the  firmament,  and  for  each  con- 
stellation I  have  created  thirty  armies,  and  for  each  army- 
thirty  legions,  each  legion  containing  thirty  divisions,  each 
division  thirty  cohorts,  each  cohort  having  thirty  camps, 
and  in  each  camp  hang  suspended  365,000  myriads  of 
stars,  as  many  thousands  of  myriads  as  there  are  days 
in  the  year ;  all  these  have  I  created  for  thy  sake,  and 
yet  thou  sayest,  '  Thou  hast  forsaken  and  forgotten  me  ! ' 
Can  a  woman  forget  her  sucking-child,  that  she  should 
not  have  compassion  on  the  son  of  her  womb  ?  Yea,  they 
may  forget,  yet  will  I  not  forget  thee." 

Berachoth,  fol.  32,  coL  2. 

8.  No  deceased  person  is  forgotten  from  the  heart  (of 
his  relatives  that  survive  him)  till  after  twelve  months, 
for  it  is  said  (Ps.  xxxi.  12),  "  I  am  forgotten  as  a  dead  man 
out  of  mind ;  I  am  like  a  lost  vessel "  (which,  as  Eashi 
explains,  is  like  all  lost  property,  not  thought  of  as  lost 
for  twelve  months,  for  not  till  then  is  proclamation  for  it 
given  up).  Ibid.,  fol.  58,  col.  2. 

9.  Eabbi  Yehudah,  Eabbi  Yossi,  and  Eabbi  Shimon  (ben 
Yochai)  were  sitting  together,  and  Yehudah  ben  Gerim 
(the  son,  says  Eashi,  of  proselyte  parents)  beside  them. 
In  the  course  of  conversation  Eabbi  Yehudah  remarked, 
"  How  beautiful  and  serviceable  are  the  works  of  these 
Eomans  !  They  have  established  markets,  spanned  rivers 
by  bridges,  and  erected  baths."  To  this  remark  Eabbi 
Yossi  kept  silent,  but  Eabbi  Shimon  replied,  "Yea,  in- 
deed ;  but  all  these  they  have  done  to  benefit  themselves. 
The  markets  they  have  opened  to  feed  licentiousness,  they 
have  erected  baths  for  their  own  pleasure,  and  the  bridges 
they  have  raised  for  collecting  tolls."  Yehudah  ben  Gerim 
thereupon  went  direct  and  informed  against  them,  and  the 
report  having  reached  the  Emperor's  ears,  an  edict  was 
immediately  issued  that  Eabbi  Yehudah  should  be  pro- 


CHAPTER  XL  151 

moted,  Eabbi  Yossi  banished  to  Sepphoris,  and  Eabbi 
Shimon  taken  and  executed.  Eabbi  Shimon  and  his  son, 
however,  managed  to  secret  themselves  in  a  college,  where 
they  were  purveyed  to  by  the  Eabbi's  wife,  who  brought 
them  daily  bread  and  water.  One  clay  mistrust  seized  the 
Eabbi,  and  he  said  to  his  son,  "  Women  are  light-minded ; 
the  Eomans  may  tease  her  and  then  she  will  betray  us." 
So  they  stole  away  and  hid  themselves  in  a  cave.  Here 
the  Lord  interposed  by  a  miracle,  and  created  a  carob-tree 
bearing  fruit  all  the  year  round  for  their  support,  and 
opened  a  perennial  spring  for  their  refreshment.  To  save 
their  clothes  they  laid  them  aside  except  at  prayers,  and 
to  protect  their  naked  bodies  from  exposure  they  would 
at  other  times  sit  up  to  their  necks  in  sand,  absorbed  in 
study.  After  they  had  passed  twelve  years  thus  in  the 
cave,  Elijah  was  sent  to  inform  them  that  the  Emperor 
was  dead,  and  his  decree  powerless  to  touch  them.  On 
leaving  the  cave,  they  noticed  some  people  ploughing 
and  sowing,  when  one  of  them  exclaimed,  "  These  folk 
neglect  eternal  things  and  trouble  themselves  with  the 
tilings  that  are  temporal."  As  they  fixed  their  eyes 
upon  the  place,  fire  came  and  burnt  it  up.  Then  a 
Bath  Kol  was  heard  exclaiming,  "  What !  are  ye  come 
forth  to  destroy  the  world  I  have  made?  Get  back 
to  your  cave  and  hide  you."  Thither  accordingly  they 
returned,  and  after  they  had  stopped  there  twelve  months 
longer,  they  remonstrated,  pleading  that  even  the  judgment 
of  the  wicked  in  Gehenna  lasted  no  longer  than  twelve 
months;  upon  which  a  Bath  Kol  was  again  heard  from 
heaven,  which  said,  "  Come  ye  forth  from  your  cave."  Then 
they  arose  and  obeyed  it.  Shabhath,  fol.  33,  col.  2. 

10.  Eabbi  Yehoshua  ben  Levi  said  that  at  every  utter- 
ance which  proceeded  from  the  mouth  of  the  Holy  One — 
blessed  be  He ! — on  Mount  Sinai,  Israel  receded  twelve 
miles,  being  conducted  gently  back  by  the  ministering 
angels;  for  it  is  said  (Ps.  lxviii.  12),  "  The  angels  (reading 


152  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

ON70  instead  of  "D7D,  kings)  of  hosts  kept  moving."    Eead 
not  "HTTP  (intransitive),  but  ]TTT  (transitive). 

Shabbath,  fol.  88,  col.  2. 

1 1.  A  Sadducee  once  said  to  Rabbi  Abhu,  "  Ye  say  that 
the  souls  of  the  righteous  are  treasured  up  under  the 
throne  of  glory ;  how  then  had  the  Witch  of  Endor  power 
to  bring  up  the  prophet  Samuel  by  necromancy  ?"  The 
Rabbi  replied,  "  Because  that  occurred  within  twelve  months 
after  his  death;  for  we  are  taught  that  during  twelve 
months  after  death  the  body  is  preserved  and  the  soul 
soars  up  and  down,  but  that  after  twelve  months  the  body 
is  destroyed  and  the  soul  goes  up  never  to  return." 

Ibid.,  fol.  152,  col.  2. 

Xote. — Clever  answers  to  puzzling  questions,  like  the  above, 
are  of  frequent  occurrence  in  the  Talmud ;  and  we  can't 
resist  the  temptation  ito  select  here  a  few  out  of  the 
many  to  be  met  with,  as  specimens  of  Rabbinical  ready 
wit  and  repartee.  A  reference  to  others  may  be  found 
by  referring  to  Index  II.  appended  to  this  Miscellany. 

(a.)  Turnus  Rufus  once  said  to  Rabbi  Akiva,  "  If 
your  God  is  a  friend  to  the  poor,  why  doesn't  He  feed 
them  1 "  To  which  he  promptly  replied,  "  That  we  by 
maintaining  them  may  escape  the  condemnation  of  Ge- 
henna." "On  the  contrary,"  said  the  Emperor,  "the 
very  fact  of  your  maintaining  the  poor  will  condemn 
you  to  Gehenna.  I  will  tell  thee  by  a  parable  whereto 
this  is  like.  It  is  as  if  a  king  of  our  own  flesh  and 
blood  should  imprison  a  servant  who  has  offended  him, 
and  command  that  neither  food  nor  drink  should  be 
given  him,  and  as  if  one  of  his  subjects  in  spite  of  him 
should  go  and  supply  him  with  both.  When  the  king 
hears  of  it,  will  he  not  be  angry  with  that  man  1  And 
ye  are  called  servants,  as  it  is  said  (Lev.  xxv.  55),  'For 
unto  me  the  children  of  Israel  are  servants.'"  To  this 
Rabbi  Akiva  replied,  "  And  I  too  will  tell  thee  a  par- 
able whereunto  the  thing  is  like.  It  is  like  a  king  of 
our  own  flesh  and  blood  who,  being  angry  with  his  son, 
imprisons  him,  and  orders  that  neither  food  nor  drink 
be  given  him,  but  one  goes  and  gives  him  both  to  eat 
and  drink.  When  the  king  hears  of  it  will  he  not 
handsomely  reward  that  man  1     And  we  are  sons,  as  it  is 


CHAPTER  XL  153 

written  (Dent.  xiv.  1),  'Ye  are  the  sons  of  tlie  Lord  your 
God.' "  "  True,"  the  Emperor  replied,  "  ye  are  both 
sons  and  servants ;  sons  when  ye  do  the  will  of  God ; 
servants  when  ye  do  not ;  and  now  ye  are  not  doing  the 
will  of  God."  (Bava  Bathra,  fol.  10,  col.  1.) 
Note. — The  Emperor  possibly  alluded  to  Ps.  lxxxi.  13, 
14,  in  proof  of  his  assertion,  to  which  Kabbi  Akiva 
had  nothing  to  say  in  reply. 

(b.)  Certain  philosophers  once  asked  the  elders  at 
Rome,  "  If  your  God  has  no  pleasure  in  idolatry,  why 
does  He  not  destroy  the  objects  of  it  1 "  "  And  so  He 
would,"  was  the  reply,  "  if  only  such  objects  were  wor- 
shipped as  the  world  does  not  stand  in  need  of ;  but 
you  idolaters  will  worship  the  sun  and  moon,  the  stars 
and  the  constellations.  Should  He  destroy  the  world 
because  of  the  fools  that  are  in  it  1  No  !  The  world  goes 
on  as  it  has  done  all  the  same,  but  they  who  abuse  it 
will  have  to  answer  for  their  conduct.  On  your  philo- 
sophy, when  one  steals  a  measure  of  wheat  and  sows  it 
in  his  field  it  should  by  rights  produce  no  crop ;  never- 
theless the  world  goes  on  as  if  no  wrong  had  been  done, 
and  they  who  abuse  it  will  one  day  smart  for  it." 
(Avoda  Zarah,  fol.  54,  col.  2.) 

(c.)  Antoninus  Csesar  asked  Rabbi  (the  Holy),  "Why 
does  the  sun  rise  in  the  east  and  set  in  the  west  ? " 
"  Thou  wouldst  have  asked,"  answered  the  Rabbi,  "  the 
same  question  if  the  order  had  been  reversed."  "  What  I 
mean,"  remarked  Antoninus,  "  is  this,  is  there  any  special 
reason  why  he  sets  in  the  west  1 "  "  Yes,"  replied  Rabbi, 
"  to  salute  his  Creator  (who  is  in  the  east),  for  it  is 
said  (Neh.  ix.  6),  '  And  the  host  of  heaven  worship 
Thee.'"     (Sarihedrin,  fol.  91,  col.  2.) 

(d.)  Caesar  once  said  to  Rabbi  Tanchum,  "  Come, 
now,  let  us  be  one  people."  "Very  well,"  said  Rabbi 
Tanchum,  "  only  we,  being  circumcised,  cannot  possibly 
become  like  you ;  if,  however,  ye  become  circumcised 
we  shall  be  alike  in  that  regard  anyhow,  and  so  be  as 
one  people."  The  Emperor  said,  "Thou  hast  reason- 
ably answered,  but  the  Roman  law  is,  that  he  who  non- 
pluses his  ruler  and  puts  him  to  silence  shall  be  cast 
to  the  lions."  The  word  was  no  sooner  uttered  than 
the  Rabbi  was  thrown  into  the  den,  but  the  lions  stood 
aloof  and  did  not  even  touch  him.  A  Sadducee,  who 
looked  on,  remarked,  "  The  lions  do  not  devour  him  be- 
cause they  are  not  hungry,"   but,   when  at  the  royal 


154  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

command,  the  Sadducee  himself  was  thrown  in,  he  had 
scarcely  reached  the  lions  before  they  fell  upon  him  and 
"began  to  tear  his  flesh  and  devour  him.  (Sanhedrin,  fol. 
39,  col.  i.) 

(e.)  A  certain  Sadducee  asked  Rabbi  Abhu,  "  Since 
your  God  is  a  priest,  as  it  is  written  (Exod.  xxv.  2), '  That 
they  bring  Me  an  offering,'  in  what  did  He  bathe 
Himself  after  He  was  polluted  by  the  burial  (Num.  xix. 
11,  18)  of  the  dead  body  of  Moses  1  It  could  not  be  in 
the  water,  for  it  is  written  (Isa.  xl.  12),  'Who  has 
measured  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of  His  hand  ? ' 
which  therefore  are  insufficient  for  Him  to  bathe  in." 
The  Kabbi  replied,  "  He  bathed  in  fire,  as  it  is  written 
(Isa.  lxvi.  15),  'For  behold  the  Lord  will  come  with 
fire.' "     (Ibid.) 

(/.)  Turnus  Eufus  asked  this  question  also  of  Rabbi 
Akiva,  "  Why  is  the  Sabbath  distinguished  from  other 
days?"  Rabbi  Akiva  replied,  "Why  art  thou  distin- 
guished from  other  men  1 "  The  answer  was,  "  Because 
it  hath  pleased  my  Master  thus  to  honour  me."  And 
so  retorted  Akiva,  "  It  hath  pleased  God  to  honour  His 
Sabbath."  "  But  what  I  mean,"  replied  the  other,  "  was 
how  dost  thou  know  that  it  is  the  Sabbath-day  ? "  The 
reply  was,  "  The  river  Sambatyon  proves  it ;  the  necro- 
mancer proves  it ;  the  grave  of  thy  father  proves  it,  for 
the  smoke  thereof  rises  not  on  the  Sabbath."  (Ibid., 
fol.  65,  col.  2.) 

Note. — See  Bereshith  Rabba,  fol.  4,  with  reference  to 
what  is  here  said  about  Turnus  Rufus  and  his 
father's  grave.  The  proof  from  the  necromancer 
lies  in  the  allegation  that  his  art  was  unsuccessful 
if  practised  on  the  Sabbath-day.  The  Sambatyon, 
Rashi  says,  is  a  pebbly  river  which  rushes  along  all 
the  days  of  the  week  except  the  Sabbath,  on  which 
it  is  perfectly  still  and  quiet.  In  the  Machsor  for 
Pentecost  (D.  Levi's  ed.  p.  81),  it  is  styled  "the 
incomprehensible  river,"  and  a  footnote  thereto  in- 
forms us  that  "  This  refers  to  the  river  p^HftD,  said 
to  rest  on  the  Sabbath  from  throwing  up  stones,  &c, 
which  it  does  not  cease  to  do  all  the  rest  of  the 
week."  (See  Sanhedrin,  fol.  65,  col.  2  ;  Yalkut  on 
Isaiah,  fol.  3,  1  ;  Pesikta  Tanchuma,  sect.  NCTl  *o. 
See  also  Shalsheleth  Hakabbala  and  Yuchsin.) 

12.  Those  Israelites  and  Gentiles  who  have  transgressed 


CHAPTER  XL  155 

with  their  bodies  (the  former  by  neglecting  to  wear 
phylacteries,  and  the  latter  by  indulging  in  sensuous  plea- 
sures), shall  go  down  into  Gehenna,  and  there  be  punished 
for  twelve  months,  after  which  period  their  bodies  will 
be  destroyed  and  their  souls  consumed,  and  a  wind  shall 
scatter  their  ashes  under  the  soles  of  the  feet  of  the 
righteous ;  as  it  is  said  (Mai.  iv.  3),  "  And  ye  shall  tread 
down  the  wicked ;  for  they  shall  be  as  ashes  under  the 
soles  of  your  feet."  But  the  Minim,  the  informers,  and 
the  Epicureans,  they  who  deny  the  law  and  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead,  they  who  separate  themselves  from 
the  manners  of  the  congregation,  they  who  have  been  a 
terror  in  the  land  of  the  living,  and  they  who  have  sinned 
and  have  led  the  multitude  astray,  as  did  Jeroboam  the  son 
of  Nebat  and  his  companions, — these  shall  go  down  into  Ge- 
henna and  there  be  judged  for  generations  upon  generations, 
as  it  is  said  (Isa.  lxvi.  24),  "  And  they  shall  go  forth  and 
look  upon  the  carcases  of  the  men  that  have  transgressed 
against  me,"  &c.  Gehenna  itself  shall  be  consumed,  but 
they  shall  not  be  burned  up  in  the  destruction ;  as  it  is 
said  (Ps.  xlix.  14 ;  Heb.  xv.),  *y\WQ  ivbsb  DT)2n> "  Ami  their 
figures  shall  consume  hell  from  being  a  dwelling." 

Rosh  Hashanali,  fol.  17,  col.  1. 

13.  Once  when  Israel  went  up  by  pilgrimages  to  one  of 
the  three  annual  feasts  at  Jerusalem  (see  Exod.  xxxiv. 
23,  24),  it  so  happened  that  there  was  no  water  to  drink. 
Nicodemon  ben  Gorion  therefore  hired  of  a  friendly  neigh- 
bour twelve  huge  reservoirs  of  water,  promising  to  have 
them  replenished  against  a  given  time,  or  failing  this  to 
forfeit  twelve  talents  of  silver.  The  appointed  day  came 
and  still  the  drought  continued,  and  therewith  the  scarcity 
of  water ;  upon  which  the  creditor  appeared  and  demanded 
payment  of  the  forfeit.  The  answer  of  Nicodemon  to  the 
demand  was,  "  There's  time  yet ;  the  day  is  not  over." 
The  other  chuckled  to  himself,  inwardly  remarking, 
"  There's   no  chance  now ;  there's  been  no  rain  all  the 


156  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

season,"  and  off  he  went  to  enjoy  his  bath.  But  Nicode- 
mon,  sorrowful  at  heart,  wended  his  way  to  the  Temple. 
After  putting  on  his  prayer  scarf,  as  he  prayed,  he  pled, 
"  Lord  of  the  Universe !  Thou  knowest  that  I  have  not 
entered  into  this  obligation  for  my  own  sake,  but  for  Thy 
glory  and  for  the  benefit  of  Thy  people."  While  he  yet 
prayed  the  clouds  gathered  overhead,  the  rain  fell  in 
torrents,  and  the  reservoirs  were  filled  to  overflowing. 
On  going  out  of  the  house  of  prayer  he  was  met  by  the 
exacting  creditor,  who  still  urged  that  the  money  was  due 
to  him,  as,  he  said,  the  rain  came  after  sunset.  But  in 
answer  to  prayer  the  clouds  immediately  dispersed,  and 
the  sun  shone  out  as  brightly  as  ever. 

Taanith,  fol.  19,  col.  2. 

Note. — pnia  p  j1E>Hp3,  Nicodemon  ben  Gorion  of  the  above 
story  is  by  some  considered  to  be  the  Nicodemus  of  St. 
John's  Gospel,  hi.  1-10;  vii.  50;  xix.  30 

14.  Would  that  my  husband  were  here  and  could  listen 
to  me ;  I  should  permit  him  to  stay  away  another  twelve 
years.  Kethuboth,  fol.  63,  col.  1. 

Note.  — Hereto  hangs  a  tale  stranger  than  fiction,  yet  founded 
on  fact.  Rabbi  Akiva  was  once  a  poor  shepherd  in  the 
employ  of  Calba  Shevua,  one  of  the  richest  men  in  all 
Jerusalem.  While  engaged  in  that  lowly  occupation  his 
master's  only  daughter  fell  in  love  with  him,  and  the  two 
carried  on  a  clandestine  courtship  for  some  time  together. 
Her  father,  hearing  of  it,  threatened  to  disinherit  her,  to 
turn  her  out  of  doors  and  disown  her  altogether,  if  she 
did  not  break  off  her  engagement.  How  could  she  con- 
nect herself  with  one  who  was  the  base-born  son  of  a  pro- 
selyte, a  reputed  descendant  of  Sisera  and  Jael,  an  ignorant 
fellow  that  could  neither  read  nor  write,  and  a  man  old 
enough  to  be  her  father?  Rachel — for  that  was  her 
name — determined  to  be  true  to  her  lover,  and  to  brave 
the  consequences  by  marrying  him  and  exchanging  the 
mansion  of  her  father  for  the  hovel  of  her  husband. 
After  a  short  spell  of  married  life  she  prevailed  upon  her 
husband  to  leave  her  for  a  while,  in  order  to  join  a  cer- 
tain college  in  a  distant  land,  where  she  felt  sure  that 
his  talents  would   be    recognised   and   his  genius    fos- 


CHAPTER  XL  157 

tered  into  development  worthy  of  it.  As  he  sauntered 
along  by  himself  he  began  to  harbour  misgivings  in  his 
mind  as  to  the  wisdom  of  the  step,  and  more  than  once 
thought  of  returning.  But  when  musing  one  day  at  a 
resting-place  a  waterfall  arrested  his  attention,  and  he 
remarked  how  the  water,  by  its  continual  dropping,  was 
wearing  away  the  solid  rock.  All  at  once,  with  the  tact 
for  which  he  was  afterwards  so  noted,  he  applied  the 
lesson  it  yielded  to  himself.  "  So  may  the  law,"  he 
reasoned,  "work  its  way  into  my  hard  and  stony 
heart;"  and  he  felt  encouraged  and  pursued  his  jour- 
ney. Under  the  tuition  of  Rabbi  Eliezer,  the  son  of 
Hyrcanus,  and  Rabbi  Yehoshua,  the  son  of  Chananiah, 
his  native  ability  soon  began  to  appear,  his  name  became 
known  to  fame,  and  he  rose  step  by  step  until  he  ranked 
as  a  professor  in  the  very  college  which  he  had  entered 
as  a  poor  student.  After  some  twelve  years  of  hard 
study  and  diligent  service  in  the  law  he  returned  to 
Jerusalem,  accompanied  by  a  large  number  of  disciples. 
On  nearing  the  dwelling  of  his  devoted  wife  he  caught 
the  sound  of  voices  in  eager  conversation.  He  paused  a 
while  and  listened  at  the  door,  and  overheard  a  gossip- 
ing neighbour  blaming  Rachel  for  her  mesalliance,  and 
twitting  her  with  marrying  a  man  who  could  run  away 
and  leave  her  as  a  widow  for  a  dozen  of  years  or  more  on 
the  crazy  pretext  of  going  to  college.  He  listened  in 
eager  curiosity,  wondering  what  the  reply  would  be.  To 
his  surprise,  he  heard  his  self-sacrificing  wife  exclaim, 
"  Would  that  my  husband  were  here  and  could  listen  to 
me ;  I  should  permit,  nay,  urge  him  to  stay  away  other 
twelve  years,  if  it  would  benefit  him."  Strange  to  say 
Akiva,  taking  the  hint  from  his  wife,  turned  away  and 
left  Jerusalem  without  ever  seeing  her.  He  went  abroad 
again  for  a  time,  and  then  returned  for  good ;  this  time, 
so  the  story  says,  with  twice  twelve  thousand  disciples. 
"Well-nigh  all  Jerusalem  turned  out  to  do  him  honour, 
every  one  striving  to  be  foremost  to  welcome  him. 
Calba  Shevua,  who  for  many  a  long  year  had  repented  of 
his  hasty  resolution,  which  cost  him  at  once  his  daughter 
and  his  happiness,  went  to  Akiva  to  ask  his  opinion 
about  annulling  this  vow.  Akiva  replied  by  making 
himself  known  as  his  quondam  servant  and  rejected  son- 
in-law.  As  we  may  suppose,  the  two  were  at  once  recon- 
ciled, and  Calba  Shevua  looked  upon  himself  as  favoured 
of  Heaven  above  all  the  fathers  in  Israel. 


158  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

15.  The  Eabbis  say  that  at  first  they  used  to  communi- 
cate the  Divine  name  of  twelve  letters  to  every  one.  But 
when  the  Antinomians  began  to  abound,  the  knowledge  of 
this  name  was  imparted  only  to  the  more  discreet  of 
the  priestly  order,  and  they  repeated  it  hastily  while  the 
other  priests  pronounced  the  benediction  of  the  people. 
(What  the  name  was,  says  Eashi,  is  not  known.)  Eabbi 
Tarphon,  the  story  goes  on  to  say,  once  listened  to  the 
high  priest,  and  overheard  him  hurriedly  pronouncing  this 
name  of  twelve  letters  while  the  other  priests  were  bless- 
ing the  people.  Kiddushin,  fol.  71,  col.  1. 

1 6.  Twelve  hours  there  are  in  the  day : — The  first  three, 
the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! — employs  in  studying  the 
law ;  the  next  three  He  sits  and  judges  the  whole  world ; 
the  third  three  He  spends  in  feeding  all  the  world ;  during 
the  last  three  hours  He  sports  with  the  leviathan  ;  as  it  is 
said  (Ps.  civ.  26),  "  This  leviathan  Thou  hast  created  to 
play  with  it."  Avodah  Zarah,  fol.  3,  col.  2. 

1 7.  Eabbi  Yochanan  bar  Chanena  said  : — The  day  con- 
sists of  twelve  hours.  During  the  first  hour  Adam's  dust 
was  collected  from  all  parts  of  the  world;  during  the 
second  it  was  made  into  a  lump;  during  the  third  his 
limbs  were  formed ;  during  the  fourth  his  body  was  ani- 
mated; during  the  fifth  he  stood  upon  his  legs;  during 
the  sixth  he  gave  names  to  the  animals ;  during  the 
seventh  he  associated  with  Eve ;  during  the  eighth  Cain 
and  a  twin  sister  were  born  (Abel  and  his  twin  sister 
were  born  after  the  Fall,  says  the  Tosephoth) ;  during  the 
ninth  Adam  was  ordered  not  to  eat  of  the  forbidden  tree ; 
during  the  tenth  he  fell;  during  the  eleventh  he  was 
judged;  and  during  the  twelfth  he  was  rejected  from 
paradise;  as  it  is  said  (Ps.  xlix.  13,  A.V.  12),  "Man 
(Adam)  ]fy  ^2,  abode  not  one  night  in  his  dignity." 

SciJihedrin,  fol.  38,  col.  2. 

18.  Eabbi  Akiva  used  to  say : — Of  five  judgments,  some 


CHAPTER  XL  159 

have  lasted  twelve  months,  others  will  do  so  ; — those  of  the 
deluge,  of  Job,  of  the  Egyptians,  of  Gog  and  Magog,  and 
of  the  wicked  in  Gehenna.     (See  chap.  v.  30  supra) 

Edioth,  chap.  2,  mish.  10. 

19.  Plagues  come  upon  those  that  are  proud,  as  was 
the  case  with  Uzziah  (2  Chron.  xxvi.  16),  "  But  when  he 
was  strong  (proud),  his  heart  was  lifted  up  to  destruction." 
When  the  leprosy  rose  up  in  his  forehead,  the  Temple 
was  cleft  asunder  twelve  miles  either  way. 

Avoth  d'Eab.  Nathan,  chap.  9. 

Note. — This  hyperbole  is  evidently  a  mere  fiction  joined  on 
to  a  truth  for  the  purpose  of  frightening  the  proud  into 
humility.  The  end  sanctifieth  the  means,  as  we  well 
know  from  other  instances  recorded  in  the  Talmud  and 
quoted  in  this  Miscellany,  which  may  easily  be  found 
by  referring  to  Index  II.  appended. 

20.  Those  who  mourn  for  deceased  relatives  are  pro- 
hibited from  entering  a  tavern  for  thirty  days,  but  those 
who  mourn  for  either  father  or  mother  must  not  do  so 
for  twelve  months.  Semachoth,  chap.  9. 

21.  A  creature  that  has  no  bones  in  its  body  does  not 
live  more  than  twelve  months.  Chidlin,  fol.  58,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  gnat  (tPliv)  of  Titus  is  an  exception,  for  it  lived 
seven  years  according  to  Gittin,  fol.  56,  col.  2. 

22.  The  Alexandrians  asked  Eabbi  Joshua  twelve  ques- 
tions ;  three  related  to  matters  of  wisdom,  three  to  matters 
of  legend,  three  were  frivolous,  and  three  were  of  a  worldly 
nature — viz.,  how  to  grow  wise,  how  to  become  rich,  and 
how  to  ensure  a  family  of  boys.      Niddah,  fol.  69,  col.  2. 

23.  There  was  once  a  man  named  Joseph,  who  was 
renowned  for  honouring  the  Sabbath-day.  He  had  a  rich 
neighbour,  a  Gentile,  whose  property  a  certain  fortune- 
teller had  said  would  eventually  revert  to  Joseph  the 
Sabbatarian.     To  frustrate  this  prediction  the  Gentile  dis- 


160  A   TALMUD IC  MISCELLANY. 

posed  of  his  property,  and  with  the  proceeds  of  the  sale 
he  purchased  a  rare  and  costly  jewel  which  he  fixed  to 
his  turban.  On  crossing  a  bridge  a  sust  of  wind  blew 
his  turban  into  the  river  and  a  fish  swallowed  it.  This 
fish  being  caught,  was  brought  on  a  Friday  to  market,  and, 
as  luck  would  have  it,  it  was  bought  by  Joseph  in  honour 
of  the  coming  Sabbath.  When  the  fish  was  cut  up  the 
jewel  was  found,  and  this  Joseph  sold  for  thirteen  purses 
of  £old  denarii.  When  his  neighbour  met  him,  he  ac- 
knowledged  that  he  who  despised  the  Sabbath  the  Lord 
of  the  Sabbath  would  be  sure  to  punish. 

Shabbath,  fol.  119,  col.  1. 

Kote. — (a.)  This  story  cannot  fail  to  remind  those  who  are 
conversant  with  Herodotus  or  Schiller  of  the  legend 
of  King  Polycrates,  which  dates  back  five  or  six 
centuries  before  the  present  era.  Polycrates,  the  king 
of  Samos,  was  one  of  the  most  fortunate  of  men,  and 
everything  he  took  in  hand  was  fabled  to  prosper. 
This  unbroken  series  of  successes  caused  disquietude  to 
his  friends,  who  saw  in  the  circumstance  foreboding  of 
some  dire  disaster;  till  Amasis,  king  of  Egypt,  one  of 
the  number,  advised  him  to  spurn  the  favour  of  fortune 
by  throwing  away  what  he  valued  dearest.  The  most 
valuable  thing  he  possessed  was  an  emerald  signet-ring, 
and  this  accordingly  he  resolved  to  sacrifice.  So,  man- 
ning a  galley,  he  rowed  out  to  the  sea,  and  threw  the 
ring  away  into  the  waste  of  the  waters.  Some  five  or 
six  days  after  this,  a  fisherman  came  to  the  palace  and 
made  the  king  a  present  of  a  very  fine  fish  that  he  had 
caught.  This  the  servants  proceeded  to  open,  when,  to 
their  surprise,  they  came  upon  a  ring,  which  on  exa- 
mination proved  to  be  the  very  ring  which  had  been 
cast  away  by  the  king  their  master.  (See  Herodotus, 
book  iii.) 

(/;.)  Among  the  many  legends  that  have  clustered 
round  the  memory  of  Solomon,  there  is  one  which  rends 
very  much  like  an  adaptation  of  this  classic  story.  The 
version  the  Talmud  gives  of  this  story  is  quoted  in  another 
part  of  this  Miscellany  (chap.  vi.  Xo.  8,  note),  but  in 
Emek  Hammelech,  fol.  14,  col.  4,  we  have  the  legend 
in  another  form,  with  much  amplitude  and  variety  of 
detail,  of  which   we    can    give   here    only    an    outline. 


CHAPTER  XL  161 

When  the  building  of  the  Temple  was  finished,  the 
king  of  the  demons  begged  Solomon  to  set  him  free 
from  his  service,  and  promised  in  return  to  teach  him  a 
secret  he  would  be  sure  to  value.  Having  cajoled  Solo- 
mon out  of  possession  of  his  signet-ring,  he  first  flung 
the  ring  into  the  sea,  where  it  was  swallowed  by  a  fish, 
and  then  taking  up  Solomon  himself,  he  cast  him  into 
a  foreign  land  some  four  hundred  miles  away,  where 
for  three  weary  long  years  he  wandered  up  and  down 
like  a  vagrant,  begging  his  bread  from  door  to  door. 
In  the  course  of  his  rambles  he  came  to  Mash  Kemim, 
and  was  so  fortunate  as  to  be  appointed  head  cook  at 
the  palace  of  the  king  of  Ammon  (Ana  Hanun,  see  i 
Kings  xii.  24;  LXX.).  While  employed  in  this  office, 
Naama,  the  king's  daughter  (see  1  Kings  xiv.  21,  31, 
and  2  Chron.  xii.  13),  fell  in  love  with  him,  and,  deter- 
mining to  marry  him,  eloped  with  him  for  refuge  to  a 
distant  land.  One  day  as  Xaama  was  preparing  a  fish 
for  dinner,  she  found  in  it  a  ring,  and  this  turned  out 
to  be  the  very  ring  which  the  king  of  the  demons 
had  flung  into  the  sea,  and  the  loss  of  which  had  be- 
witched the  king  out  of  his  power  and  dominion.  In  the 
recovery  of  the  ring  the  king  both  recovered  himself 
and  the  throne  of  his  father  David. 

(c.)  The  occurrence  of  a  fish  and  a  ring  on  the  arms 
of  the  city  of  Glasgow  memorialises  a  legend  in  which 
we  find  the  same  singular  combination  of  circumstances. 
A  certain  queen  of  the  district  one  day  gave  her  para- 
mour a  golden  ring  which  the  king  her  husband  had 
committed  to  her  charge  as  a  keepsake.  By  some  means 
or  other  the  king  got  to  know  of  the  whereabouts  of  the 
ring,  and  cleverly  contriving  to  secure  possession  of  it, 
threw  it  into  the  sea.  He  then  went  straight  to  the 
queen  and  demanded  to  know  where  it  was  and  what 
she  had  done  with  it.  The  queen  in  her  distress  repaired 
to  St.  Kentigern,  and  both  made  full  confession  of  her 
guilt  and  her  anxiety  about  the  recovery  of  the  ring, 
that  she  might  regain  the  lost  favour  of  her  husband. 
The  saint  set  off  at  once  to  the  Clyde,  and  there  caught 
a  salmon  and  the  identical  ring  in  the  mouth  of  it. 
This  he  handed  over  to  the  queen,  who  returned  it  to 
her  lord  with  such  expressions  of  penitence  that  the 
restoration  of  it  became  the  bond  and  pledge  between 
them  of  a  higher  and  holier  wedlock. 

L 


162  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

24.  There  were  thirteen  horn-shaped  collecting-boxes, 
and  thirteen  tables,  and  thirteen  devotional  bowings  in 
the  Temple  service.  Those  who  belonged  to  the  houses 
of  Eabbi  Gamliel  and  of  Eabbi  Chananiah,  the  president 
of  the  priests,  bowed  fourteen  times.  This  extra  act  of 
bowing  was  directed  to  the  quarter  of  the  wood  store,  in 
consequence  of  a  tradition  they  inherited  from  their  an- 
cestors that  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  was  hidden  in  that 
locality.  The  origin  of  the  tradition  was  this : — A  priest, 
being  once  engaged  near  the  wood  store,  and  observing 
that  part  of  the  plaster  differed  from  the  rest,  went  to 
tell  his  companions,  but  died  before  he  had  time  to  relate 
his  discovery.  Thus  it  became  known  for  certain  that 
the  Ark  was  hidden  there.  Shekalim,  chap.  3,  hal.  1. 

Note. — It  is  more  than  probable  that  the  Chananiah,  the 
D*Oi"Dn  pD  mentioned  above,  is  the  person  alluded  to  in 
the  Acts,  chap,  xxiii.  2,  as  "the  high  priest  Ananias." 
For  the  tradition  about  the  Ark,  see  also  2  Mace.  ii.  4,  5. 

25.  There  were  thirteen  horn-shaped  collecting-boxes  in 
the  Temple,  and  upon  them  were  inscribed  new  shekels, 
old  shekels,  turtle-dove  offerings,  young-pigeon  offerings, 
firewood,  contribution  for  Galbanus,  gold  for  the  mercy- 
seat  ;  and  six  boxes  were  inscribed  for  voluntary  contribu- 
tions. New  shekels  were  for  the  current  year,  old  shekels 
were  for  the  past  one.  Yoma,  fol.  55,  col.  2. 

26.  Once  on  account  of  loner-continued  drought  Eabbi 
Eliezer  proclaimed  thirteen  public  fasts,  but  no  rain  came. 
At  the  termination  of  the  last  fast,  just  as  the  congrega- 
tion was  leaving  the  synagogue,  he  cried  aloud,  "  Have 
you  then  prepared  graves  for  yourselves  ? "  Upon  this 
all  the  people  burst  into  bitter  cries,  and  rain  came  down 
directly.  Taanith,  fol.  25,  coL  2. 

27.  A  boy  at  thirteen  years  of  age  is  bound  to  observe  the 
usual  fasts  in  full,  i.e.,  throughout  the  whole  day.  A  girl 
is  bound  to  do  so  when  only  twelve.     Eashi  gives  this  as 


CHAPTER  XL  163 

the  reason : — A  boy  is  supposed  to  be  weaker  than  a  girl 
on  account  of  the  enervating  effect  of  much  study. 

Kethuboth,  fol.  5,  col.  1. 

28.  A  poor  man  once  came  to  Eava  and  begged  for 
a  meal.  "  On  what  dost  thou  usually  dine  ? "  asked  Eava. 
"  On  stuffed  fowl  and  old  wine,"  was  the  reply.  "  What !  " 
said  Eava,  "  art  thou  not  concerned  about  being  so  burden- 
some to  the  community  ?  "  He  replied,  "  I  eat  nothing  be- 
longing to  them,  only  what  the  Lord  provides ; "  as  we  are 
taught  (Ps.  cxlv.  15),  '  The  eyes  of  all  wait  upon  Thee,  and 
Thou  givest  them  their  meat  (1TUQ)  in  his  season.'  It  is 
not  said  (DAJO)  in  their  season,  for  so  we  learn  that  God 
provides  for  each  individual  in  his  season  of  need."  While 
they  were  thus  talking,  in  came  Eava's  sister,  who  had  not 
been  to  see  him  for  thirteen  years,  and  she  brought  him 
as  a  present  a  stuffed  fowl  and  some  old  wine  also.  Eava 
marvelled  at  the  coincidence,  and  turning  to  his  poor 
visitor  said,  "  I  beg  thy  pardon,  friend ;  rise,  I  pray  thee, 
and  eat."  Ibid.,  fol.  67,  col.  2. 

29.  So  great  is  circumcision  that  thirteen  covenants 
were  made  concerning  it.  Tosafoth  says  that  covenant 
is  written  thirteen  times  in  the  chapter  of  circumcision. 

Nedarim,  fol.  31,  col.  2. 

30.  Eabbi  (the  Holy)  says  sufferings  are  to  be  borne 
with  resignation.  He  himself  bore  them  submissively  for 
thirteen  years ;  for  six  he  suffered  from  lithiasis,  and  for 
seven  years  from  stomatitis  (or,  as  some  say,  six  years  from 
the  former  and  seven  from  the  latter).  His  groans  were 
heard  three  miles  off  (See  "  Gen.  ace.  to  the  Talmud," 
p.  286,  No.  6.)  Bava  Metzia,  foL  85,  col.  1. 

31.  The  Eabbis  have  taught  thirteen  things  respecting 
breakfast  (JT")nttf  J1H),  morning-morsel) : — It  counteracts 
the  effects  of  heat,  cold,  or  draught ;  it  protects  from  malig- 
nant demons ;  it  makes  wise  the  simple  by  keeping  the 
mind  in  a  healthy  condition ;  it  enables  a  man  to  come  off 


164  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

clear  from  a  judicial  inquiry  ;  it  qualifies  him  both  to 
learn  and  to  teach  the  law ;  it  makes  him  eagerly  listened  to, 
to  have  a  retentive  memory,  &c. 

Bava  Metzia,  fol.  107,  col.  2. 

32.  The  land  of  Israel  is  in  the  future  to  be  divided 
among  thirteen  tribes,  and  not,  as  at  first,  among  twelve. 

Bava  Batlira,  fol.  122,  col.  1. 

33.  Eabbi  Abhu  once  complimented  Eav  Saphra  before 
the  Minim  by  singling  him  out  in  their  hearing  as  a  man 
distinguished  by  his  learning,  and  this  led  them  to  exempt 
him  from  tribute  for  thirteen  years.  It  so  happened  that 
these  Minim  once  posed  Saphra  about  that  which  is  written 
in  Amos  iii.  2,  "  You  only  have  I  known  of  all  the  families 
of  the  earth ;  therefore  I  will  punish  you  for  all  your 
iniquities."  "  Ye  say  you  are  God's  friends,  but  when  one 
has  a  friend  does  he  pour  out  his  wrath  upon  him  ? "  To 
this  Eav  Saphra  made  no  reply.  They  then  put  a  rope 
round  his  neck  and  tormented  him.  When  he  was  in  this 
sorry  plight,  Eabbi  Abhu  came  up  and  inquired  why 
they  tormented  him  thus.  To  this  they  made  answer, 
"  Didst  thou  not  tell  us  that  he  was  a  very  learned  man, 
and  he  does  not  even  know  how  to  explain  a  text  of  Scrip- 
ture ?  "  "  Yes,  I  did  so  say,"  replied  Eabbi  Abhu ;  "  he 
is  an  adept  in  the  Talmud  only,  but  not  in  the  Scriptures." 
"  Thou  knowest  the  Scriptures  ; "  they  replied,  "  and  why 
ought  he  not  to  know  them  as  well ? "  "I  have  daily 
intercourse  with  you,"  said  the  Eabbi,  "  and  therefore  I 
am  obliged  to  study  the  Scriptures,  but  he,  having  no 
intercourse  with  you,  has  no  need  to  trouble  himself,  and 
does  not  at  all  care  about  them."  (See  chap.  x.  No.  24, 
and  note  supra.)  Avodah  Zarah,  fol.  4,  col.  1. 

Note. — In  order  to  understand  aright  the  grounds  on  which 
Eabbi  Abhu  would  fain  excuse  Eav  Saphra  for  not  caring 
at  all  about  the  Scriptures,  certain  passages  from  both 
Talmuds  should  be  read,  which,  in  the  usual  metaphorical 
style  of  the  Rabbis,  set  forth  the  respective  merits  of 


CHAPTER  XL  165 

Scripture  and  Tradition.  The  three  times  three  in 
Sophrim  (chap.  15),  in  which  the  Scripture  is  compared 
to  water,  the  Mishna  to  wine,  and  the  Gemara  to  mulled 
wine,  and  that  in  which  the  Scripture  is  likened  to  salt, 
the  Mishna  to  pepper,  and  the  Gemara  to  spice,  and  so 
on,  are  too  well  known  to  need  more  than  passing  men- 
tion ;  but  far  less  familiar  and  much  more  explicit  is 
the  exposition  of  Zech.  viii.  10,  as  given  in  T.  B.  Chag- 
gigah,  fol.  10,  col.  1,  where,  commenting  on.  the  Scrip- 
ture text,  "  Neither  was  there  any  peace  to  him  that 
went  out  or  came  in,"  Kav  expressly  says,  "He  who 
leaves  a  matter  of  Halachah  for  a  matter  of  Scripture  shall 
never  more  have  peace  ; "  to  which  Shemuel  adds,  "  Aye, 
and  he  also  who  leaves  the  Talmud  for  the  Mishna;" 
Rabbi  Yochanan  chiming  in  with  0"W?  D"£'E>  I^QX,  "  even 
from  Talmud  to  Talmud;"  as  if  to  say,  "And  he  who  turns 
from  the  Babli  to  the  Yerushalmi,  even  he  shall  have  no 
peace."  If  we  refer  to  the  Mishna  (chap.  1,  hal.  7)  of 
Berachoth  in  the  last-named  Talmud,  we  read  there  that 
Rabbi  Tarphon,  bent,  while  on  a  journey,  on  reading  the 
Shema  according  to  the  school  of  Shammai,  ran  the  risk 
of  falling  into  the  hands  of  certain  banditti  whom  he 
had  not  noticed  near  him.  "  It  would  have  served  you 
right,"  remarked  one,  "  because  you  did  not  follow  the 
rule  of  Hillel."  In  the  Gemara  to  this  passage  Rabbi 
Yochanan  says,  "  The  words  of  the  scribes  are  more 
highly  valued  than  the  words  of  the  law,  for,  as  Rabbi 
Yuda  remarks,  'If  Rabbi  Tarphon  had  not  read  the 
Shema  at  all  he  would  only  have  broken  a  positive  com- 
mand, but  since  he  transgressed  the  rule  of  Hillel  he 
was  guilty  of  death,  for  it  is  written,  '  He  who  breaks 
down  a  hedge  (the  Rabbinic  hedge  to  the  law,  of 
course),  a  serpent  shall  bite  him'"  (Eccles.  x.  8).  Then 
Rabbi  Chanina,  the  son  of  Rabbi  Ana,  in  the  name 
of  Rabbi  Tanchum,  the  son  of  Rabbi  Cheyah,  says, 
"  The  words  of  the  elders  are  more  important  than  the 
words  of  the  prophets."  A  prophet  and  an  elder,  whom 
do  they  resemble  ?  They  are  like  two  ambassadors  sent 
by  a  king  to  a  province.  About  the  one  he  sends  word 
saying,  "If  he  does  not  present  credentials  with  my 
signature  and  seal,  trust  him  not ; "  whereas  the  other 
is  accredited  without  any  such  token  ;  for  in  regard 
to  the  prophet  it  is  written  (Deut.  xiii.  2),  "  He  giveth 
thee  a  sign  or  token ; "  while  in  reference  to  the 
elders  it  is  written  (Deut.  xvii.   11),  "According  to  the 


1 66  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

decision  which  they  may  say  unto  thee  shalt  thou  do ; 
thou  shalt  not  depart  from  the  sentence  which  they  may 
tell  thee,  to  the  right  or  to  the  left."  Rashi's  comment 
on  this  text  is  worth  notice:  "Even  when  they  tell 
thee  that  right  is  left  and  left  is  right."  In  a  word, 
KUJD  spy  Dnn,  a  wise  man  (i.e.,  a  Rabbi)  is  better  than 
a  prophet.     (BavaBathra,  fol.  12,  col.  1.) 

34.  Oved,  the  Galilean,  has  expounded  that  there  are 
thirteen  vavs  (i.e.,  }  occurs  thirteen  times)  in  connection 
with  wine.      Vav  in  Syriac  means  woe. 

Sanhedrin,  fol.  70,  col.  1. 
Note. — The  Rabbis  have  a  curious  Haggada  respecting  the 
origin  of  the  culture  of  the  vine.  Once  while  Noah 
was  hard  at  work  breaking  up  the  fallow  ground  for  a 
vineyard,  Satan  drew  near  and  inquired  what  he  was 
doing.  On  ascertaining  that  the  patriarch  was  about 
to  cultivate  the  grape,  which  he  valued  both  for  its  fruit 
and  its  juice,  he  at  once  volunteered  to  assist  him  at  his 
task,  and  began  to  manure  the  soil  with  the  blood  of  a 
lamb,  a  lion,  a  pig,  and  a  monkey.  "  Now,"  said  he, 
when  his  work  was  done,  "  of  those  who  taste  the  juice 
of  the  grape,  some  will  become  meek  and  gentle  as  the 
lamb,  some  bold  and  fearless  as  the  lion,  some  foul  and 
beastly  as  the  pig,  and  others  frolicsome  and  lively  as  the 
monkey."  This  quaint  story  may  be  found  more  fully 
detailed  in  the  Midrash  Tanchuma  (see  Noah)  and  the 
Yalkut  on  Genesis.  The  Mohammedan  legend  is  some- 
what similar.  It  relates  how  Satan  on  the  like  occasion 
used  the  blood  of  a  peacock,  of  an  ape,  of  a  lion,  and  of 
a  pig,  and  it  deduces  from  the  abuse  of  the  vine  the  curse 
that  fell  on  the  children  of  Ham,  and  ascribes  the  colour 
of  the  purple  grape  to  the  dark  hue  which  thenceforth 
tinctured  all  the  fruit  of  their  land  as  well  as  their  own 
complexions. 

35.  At  thirteen  years  of  age,  a  boy  becomes  bound  to 
observe  the  (613)  precepts  of  the  law.        Avoth,  chap.  5. 

36.  Rabbi  Ishmael  says  the  law  is  to  be  expounded 
according  to  thirteen  logical  rules. 

Chullin,  fol.  6 t,,  col.  1. 
Note. — The  nno  m&y-whw,  thirteen  rules  of  Rabbi  Ishmael 
above  referred  to,  are  not  to  be  found  together  in  any 


CHAPTER  XL  167 

part  of  the  Talmud,  but  they  are  collected  for  repetition 
in  the  Liturgy,  and  are  as  follows  : — 

1.  Inference  is  valid  from  minor  to  major. 

2.  From  similar  phraseology. 

3.  From  the  gist  or  main  point  of  one  text  to  that 
of  other  passages. 

4.  Of  general  and  particular. 

5.  Of  particular  and  general. 

6.  From  a  general,  or  a  particular  and  a  general,  the 
ruling  both  of  the  former  and  the  latter  is  to  be  according 
to  the  middle  term,  i.e.,  the  one  which  is  particularised. 

7.  From  a  general  text  that  requires  a  particular  in- 
stance, and  vice  versd. 

8.  When  a  particular  rule  is  laid  down  for  something 
which  has  already  been  included  in  a  general  law,  the 
rule  is  to  apply  to  all. 

9.  "When  a  general  rule  has  an  exception,  the  excep- 
tion mitigates  and  does  not  aggravate  the  rule. 

10.  When  a  general  rule  has  an  exception  not  accord- 
ing therewith,  the  exception  both  mitigates  and  aggra- 
vates. 

11.  When  an  exception  to  a  general  rule  is  made  to 
substantiate  extraneous  matter,  that  matter  cannot  be 
classed  under  the  said  general  rule,  unless  the  Scripture 
expressly  says  so. 

12.  The  ruling  is  to  be  according  to  the  context,  or 
to  the  general  drift  of  the  argument. 

13.  When  two  texts  are  contradictory,  a  third  is  to 
be  sought  that  reconciles  them. 

37.  Eabbi  Akiva  was  forty  years  of  age  when  he  began 
to  study,  and  after  thirteen  years  of  study  he  began 
publicly  to  teach.  Avoth  cVRab.  Nathan. 

38.  Thirteen  treasurers  and  seven  directors  were  ap- 
pointed to  serve  in  the  Temple.  (More  there  might  be, 
never  less.)  Tamid,  fol.  27,  col.  1. 

39.  Thirteen  points  of  law  regulate  the  decisions  that 
require  to  be  made  relative  to  the  carcase  of  a  clean  bird. 

Taharoth,  chap.  1,  mish.  1. 

40.  A  man  must  partake  of  fourteen  meals  in  the  booth 
during  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles.      Succah,  fol.  27,  col.  1. 


1 68  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

41.  Traditional  chronology  records  that  the  Israelites 
killed  the  Paschal  lamb  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  Msan,  the 
month  on  which  they  came  out  of  Egypt.  They  came 
out  on  the  fifteenth ;  that  day  was  a  Friday. 

Shabbath,  fol.  88,  col.  1. 

42.  The  fifteen  steps  were  according  to  the  number  of 
the  Songs  of  Degrees  in  the  Psalms.  It  is  related  that 
whosoever  has  not  seen  the  joy  at  the  annual  ceremony 
of  the  water-drawing,  has  not  seen  rejoicing  in  his  life.  At 
the  conclusion  of  the  first  part  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles, 
the  Priests  and  Levites  descended  into  the  women's  ante- 
court,  where  they  made  great  preparations  (such  as  erecting 
temporary  double  galleries,  the  uppermost  for  women,  and 
those  under  for  men).  There  were  golden  candelabra 
there,  each  having  four  golden  bowls  on  the  top,  four 
ladders  reaching  to  them,  and  four  of  the  young  priests 
with  cruses  of  oil  ready  to  supply  them,  each  cruse  hold- 
ing one  hundred  and  twenty  logs  of  oil.  The  lamp-wicks 
were  made  of  the  worn-out  drawers  and  girdles  of  the 
priests.  There  was  not  a  court  in  all  Jerusalem  that  was 
not  lit  up  by  the  illumination  of  the  "  water-drawing." 
Holy  men,  and  men  of  dignity,  with  flaming  torches  in 
their  hands,  danced  before  the  people,  rehearsing  songs 
and  singing  praises.  The  Levites,  with  harps,  lutes, 
cymbals,  trumpets,  and  innumerable  musical  instruments, 
were  stationed  on  the  fifteen  steps  *  which  led  from  the 
ante-court  of  Israel  to  the  women's  court;  the  Levites 
stood  upon  the  steps  and  played  and  sang.  Two  priests 
stood  at  the  upper  gate  which  led  from  the  ante-court 
for  Israel  to  that  for  the  women,  each  provided  with  a 
trumpet,  and  as  soon  as  the  cock  crew  (typ/l)  they  blew  one 
simple  blast  pyHiTl),  then  a  compound  or  fragmentary  one, 
and  then  a  modulated  or  shouting  blast.  This  was  the 
preconcerted  signal  for  the  drawing  of  the  water.    As  soon 

*  These  fifteen  steps  were  according  to  the  number  of  the  Songs  of  Degrees 
in  the  Psalter  (Ps.  cxx.-cxxxiv.). 


CHAPTER  XI.  169 

as  they  reached  the  tenth  step,  they  blew  again  three  blasts 
as  before.  When  they  came  to  the  ante-court  for  women, 
they  blew  another  three  blasts,  and  after  that  they  con- 
tinued blowing  till  they  came  to  the  east  gate.  When 
they  arrived  at  the  east  gate,  they  turned  their  faces  west- 
ward (i.e.,  towards  the  Temple)  and  said,  "  Our  fathers, 
who  were  in  this  place,  turned  their  backs  towards  the 
Temple  of  the  Lord,  and  their  faces  towards  the  East, 
for  they  worshipped  the  sun  in  the  East ;  but  we  turn  our 
eyes  to  God  ! "  Eabbi  Yehudah  says,  "  These  words  were 
repeated,  echoing,  'We  are  for  God,  and  unto  God  are 
our  eyes  directed  !'•"  Succah,  fol.  51,  col.  1,  2. 

43.  Eabbon  Shimon  ben  Gamliel  has  said  there  were 
no  such  gala-days  for  Israel  as  the  fifteenth  of  Ab  and  the 
Day  of  Atonement,  when  the  young  maidens  of  Jeru- 
salem used  to  resort  to  the  vineyard  all  robed  in  white 
garments,  that  were  required  to  be  borrowed,  lest  those 
should  feel  humiliated  who  had  none  of  their  own.  There 
they  danced  gleefully,  calling  to  the  lookers-on  and  say- 
ing, "  Young  men,  have  a  care ;  the  choice  you  now  make 
may  have  consequences."  Taanith,  fol.  26,  col.  2. 

44.  Eabbi  Elazar  the  Great  said,  "  From  the  fifteenth 
of  Ab  the  influence  of  the  sun  declines,  and  from  that 
day  they  leave  off  cutting  wood  for  the  altar  fire,  because 
it  could  not  be  properly  dried  (and  green  wood  might 
harbour  vermin,  which  would  make  it  unfit  for  use)." 

Ibid. ,  fol.  31,  col.  1. 

45.  He  who  eats  turnips  to  beef,  and  sleeps  out  in  the 
open  air  during  the  night  of  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth 
days  of  the  months  of  summer  (that  is,  when  the  moon 
is  full),  will  most  likely  bring  on  an  ague  fever. 

Gittin,  fol.  70,  col.  1. 

46.  A  lad  should,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  begin  to  apply 
himself  to  the  Gemara.  Avoth,  chap.  5. 


I/O  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

47.  "  So  I  bought  her  to  me  for  fifteen"  (Hosea  iii.  2), 
that  is,  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  Nisan,  when  Israel  was 
redeemed  from  the  bondage  of  Egypt.  "  Silver ;  "  this 
refers  to  the  righteous.  "  An  homer  and  a  half-homer ; " 
these  equal  forty-five  measures,  and  are  the  forty-five 
righteous  men  for  whose  sake  the  world  is  preserved.  I 
don't  know  whether  there  are  thirty  here  (that  is,  in 
Babylon),  and  fifteen  in  the  land  of  Israel,  or  vice  versa  ; 
as  it  is  said  (Zech.  xi.  1 3),  "  I  took  the  thirty  pieces  of 
silver  and  cast  them  to  the  potter  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord."  It  stands  to  reason  that  there  are  thirty  in  the 
land  of  Israel,  aud,  therefore,  fifteen  here.  Abaii  says 
that  the  greater  part  are  to  be  found  under  the  gable  end 
of  the  synagogue.  Eav  Yehudah  says  the  reference  is  to 
the  thirty  righteous  men  always  found  among  the  nations 
of  the  world  for  whose  sake  they  are  preserved  (but  see 
ISTo.  103  infra).  Ulla  says  it  refers  to  the  thirty  precepts 
received  by  the  nations  of  the  world,  of  which,  however, 
they  keep  three  only ;  i.e.,  they  do  not  enter  into  formal 
marriage-contracts  with  men ;  they  do  not  expose  for  sale 
the  bodies  of  such  animals  as  have  died  from  natural 
causes;  and  they  have  regard  for  the  law. 

Chullin,  fol.  92,  col.  1. 

48.  Eabbi  Cheyah  bar  Abba  says,  "  I  once  visited  a 
householder  at  Ludkia,  and  they  placed  before  him  a 
golden  table  so  loaded  with  silver  plate,  basins,  cups, 
bottles  and  glasses,  besides  all  sorts  of  dishes,  delicacies, 
and  spices,  that  it  took  sixteen  men  to  carry  it.  When 
they  set  the  table  in  its  place  they  said  (Ps.  xxiv.  1), 
'  The  earth  is  the  Lord's  and  the  fulness  thereof,'  and 
upon  removing  it,  they  said  (Ps.  cxv.  16),  '  The  heaven, 
even  the  heavens,  are  the  Lord's,  but  the  earth  hath  He 
given  to  the  children  of  men.'  I  said,  '  Son,  how  hast 
thou  come  to  deserve  all  this  ? '  'I  was,'  replied  he,  '  a 
butcher  by  trade,  and  I  always  set  apart  for  the  Sabbath 
the  best  of  the  cattle.'     '  How   happy  art  thou,'  I   re- 


CHAPTER  XL  171 

marked  (adds  Eabbi  Cheyah),  ' to  have  merited  such  a 
reward,  and  blessed  be  God  who  has  thus  rewarded  thee.' " 

Shabbath,  fol.  119,  col.  1. 

49.  Eash  Lakish  said,  "  I  have  seen  the  flow  of  milk 
and  honey  at  Tzipori ;  it  was  sixteen  miles  by  sixteen  miles." 

Megittah,  fol.  6,  col.  1. 

Note. — Eashi  explains  the  above  as  follows  : — The  goats  fed 
upon  figs  from  which  honey  distilled,  and  this  mingled 
with  the  milk  which  dropped  from  the  goats  as  they 
walked  along.  On  the  spot  arose  a  lake  which  covered 
an  area  of  sixteen  miles  square.  (See  also  Kethuboth, 
fol.  in,  col.  2.) 

50.  A  cedar-tree  once  fell  down  in  our  place,  the  trunk 
of  which  was  so  wide  that  sixteen  waggons  were  drawn 
abreast  upon  it.  BecJwroth,  fol.  57,  col.  2. 

Note. — Who  can  estimate  the  loss  the  world  sustains  in  its 
ignorance  of  the  trees  of  the  Talmud  ?  What  a  sapling  in 
comparison  with  this  giant  cedar  of  Lebanon  must  the  far- 
famed  Mammoth  tree  have  been  which  was  lately  cut 
down  in  California,  and  was  the  largest  known  to  the 
present  generation  !  And  that,  report  says,  was  above 
400  feet  high  and  fully  100  feet  in  circumference,  a 
section  of  which  was  lately  exhibited  in  San  Francisco, 
hollowed  out  into  a  furnished  chamber  which  could 
with  ease  accommodate  a  hundred  and  forty  children  ! 

51.  Eabbi  Yochanan  plaintively  records,  "  I  remember 
the  time  when  a  young  man  and  a  young  woman  sixteen  or 
seventeen  years  of  age  could  walk  together  in  the  streets 
and  no  harm  came  of  it."         Bava  Bathra,  fol.  91,  col.  2. 

52.  On  the  deposition  of  Eabbon  Gamliel,  Eabbi  Eleazar 
ben  Azariah  was  chosen  as  his  successor  to  the  presiden- 
tial chair  of  the  academy.  On  being  told  of  his  elevation, 
he  consulted  with  his  wife  as  to  whether  or  not  he  should 
accept  the  appointment.  "What  if  they  should  depose 
thee  also  ? "  asked  his  wife.  He  replied,  "  Use  the  pre- 
cious bowl  while  thou  hast  it,  even  if  it  be  broken  the 


172  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

next."  But  she  rejoined,  "  Thou  art  only  eighteen  years 
old,  and  how  canst  thou  at  such  an  age  expect  folks  to 
venerate  thee  ? "  By  a  miracle  eighteen  of  his  locks 
turned  suddenly  grey,  so  that  he  could  say,  "  I  am  as  one 
of  seventy."  Berachoth,  fol.  27,  col.  2. 

53.  The  Babbis  have  taught  that  Shimon  Happikoli 
had  arranged  the  eighteen  benedictions  before  Babbon 
Gamliel  at  Javneh.  Babbon  Gamliel  appealed  to  the 
sages,  "  Is  there  not  a  man  who  knows  how  to  compose  an 
imprecation  against  the  Sadducees  ?  "  Then  Samuel  the 
Little  stood  up  and  extemporised  it. 

Ibid. j  fol.  28,  col.  2. 

Note. — The  D'-pnv  nD"i3  (supra,  and  fol.  29,  col.  1),  "impre- 
cation against  the  Sadducees,"  stands  twelfth  among  the 
collects  of  the  Shemoneh  Esreh.  It  is  popularly  known 
as  D'O^E^'),  "  Velamalesliinini,"  from  its  opening  words, 
and  is  given  thus  in  modern  Ashkenazi  liturgies  : — "  Oh, 
let  the  slanderers  have  no  hope,  all  the  wicked  be  anni- 
hilated speedily,  and  all  the  tyrants  be  cut  off,  hurled 
down  and  reduced  speedily;  humble  Thou  them  quickly 
in  our  days.  Blessed  art  Thou,  0  Lord,  who  destroyest 
enemies  and  humblest  tyrants."  There  has  been  much 
misconception  with  regard  to  this  collect  against  heretics. 
There  is  every  reason  to  believe  it  was  composed  without 
any  reference  whatever  to  the  Christians.  One  point  of 
interest,  however,  in  connection  with  it  is  worth  relating 
here.  Some  have  sought  to  identify  the  author  of  it, 
Samuel  the  Little,  with  the  Apostle  Baul,  grounding  the 
conclusion  on  his  original  Hebrew  name,  Saul.  They  take 
^1K£>  as  an  abbreviation  of  ^Klftt?.  and  Baulus  as  equal 
to pusillus,  wrhich  means  "  very  little  "  or  "  the  less,"  and 
answers  to  the  Hebrew  }&pn,  Hakaton,  a  term  of  similar 
import.  Samuel,  however,  died  a  good  Jew  (see  Sema- 
choth,  chap.  8),  and  Rabbon  Gamliel  Hazaken  and 
Rabbi  Eleazar  ben  Azariah  pronounced  a  funeral  oration 
at  his  burial.  "  His  key  and  his  diary  wrere  placed  on 
his  coffin,  because  he  had  no  son  to  succeed  him."  (See 
also  Sanhedrin,  fol.  1 1 ,  col.  1 . ) 

54.  Eighteen  denunciations  did  Isaiah  make  against  the 
people  of  Israel,  and  he  recovered  not  his  equanimity 


CHAPTER  XL  173 

until  he  was  able  to  add,  "  The  child  shall  behave  himself 
proudly  against  the  ancient,  and  the  base  against  the 
honourable"  (Isa.  iii.  5).  Chaggigah,  fol,  14,  col.  1. 

55.  The  Eabbis  have  related  that  there  was  once  a 
family  in  Jerusalem  the  members  of  which  died  off  regu- 
larly at  eighteen  years  of  age.  Eabbi  Yochanan  ben 
Zacchai  shrewdly  guessed  that  they  were  descendants 
of  Eli,  regarding  whom  it  is  said  (1  Sam.  ii.  25),  "  And  all 
the  increase  of  thine  house  shall  die  in  the  flower  of  their 
age ; "  and  he  accordingly  advised  them  to  devote  them- 
selves to  the  study  of  the  law,  as  the  certain  and  only 
means  of  neutralising  the  curse.  They  acted  upon  the 
advice  of  the  Rabbi;  their  lives  were  in  consequence 
prolonged;  and  they  thenceforth  went  by  the  name  of 
their  spiritual  father.  Bosh  Hashanah,  fol.  18,  col.  1. 

56.  At  eighteen  HDIIl1?,  to  the  nuptial  canopy. 

Avoth,  chap.  5. 

57.  Eighteen  handbreadths  was  the  height  of  the  golden 
candlestick.  Menachoth,  fol.  28,  col.  2. 

58.  If  a  man  remain  unmarried  after  the  age  of  twenty, 
his  life  is  a  constant  transgression.  The  Holy  One — 
blessed  be  He ! — waits  until  that  period  to  see  if  one 
enters  the  matrimonial  state,  and  curses  his  bones  if  he 
remain  single.  Kiddushin,  fol.  29,  col.  2. 

59.  A  woman  marrying  under  twenty  years  of  age  will 
bear  till  she  is  sixty ;  if  she  marries  at  twenty  she  will 
bear  until  she  is  forty ;  if  she  marries  at  forty  she  will 
not  have  any  family.  Bava  Bathra,  fol.  119,  col.  2. 

60.  At  twenty  pursue  the  study  of  the  law. 

Avoth,  chap.  5. 

61.  Eabbi  Yehudah  says  the  early  Pietists  (DH^DH) 
used  to  suffer  some  twenty  days  before  death  from  diarrhoea, 


174  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

the  effect  of  which,  was  to  purge  and  purify  them  for  the 
world  to  come ;  for  it  is  said,  "  As  the  fining  pot  for 
silver,  and  the  furnace  for  gold,  so  is  a  man  to  his  praise  " 
(Prov.  xxvii.  2l).  Semachoth,  chap.  3,  mish.  10. 

Note. — It  may  not  he  out  of  place  to  append  two  or  three 
parallel  passages  here  by  way  of  illustration  : — "  Bodily 
suffering  purges  away  sin"  (Berachoth,  fol.  5,  col.  1). 
"He  who  suffers  will  not  see  hell"  (JEiruvin,  fol.  41, 
col.  2).  "  To  die  of  diarrhoea  is  an  augury  for  good,  for 
most  of  the  righteous  die  of  that  ailment"  (  Kethuhoth, 
fol.  103,  col.  2,  and  elsewhere). 

62.  The  bathing  season  at  (the  hot  baths  of)  Dimsis 
lasted  twenty-one  days.  .        Shabbath,  fol.  147,  col.  2. 

63.  A  fowl  hatches  in  twenty-one  days,  and  the  almond 
tree  ripens  its  fruit  in  twenty-one  days. 

Bechoroth,  fol.  8,  col.  1. 

64.  Eabbi  Levi  says  the  realisation  of  a  good  dream 
may  be  hopefully  expected  for  twentij-two  years ;  for  it  is 
written  (Gen.  xxxvii.  2),  "These  are  the  generations  of 
Jacob,  Joseph  being  seventeen  years  old  when  he  had  the 
dreams."  And  it  is  written  also  (Gen.  xli.  46),  "And 
Joseph  was  thirty  years  old  when  he  stood  before  Pharaoh," 
&c.  From  seventeen  to  thirty  are  thirteen,  to  which  add 
the  seven  years  of  plenty  and  the  two  years  of  famine, 
which  make  the  sum  total  of  twenty-two. 

Berachoth,  fol.  55,  col.  2. 

Note. — In  the  pages  which  precede  and  follow  the  above 
quotation  there  is  much  that  is  interesting  on  the  subject 
of  dreams  and  their  interpretation,  and  one  is  strongly 
tempted  to  append  selections,  but  we  refrain  in  order  to 
make  room  for  a  prayer  which  occurs  in  the  morning 
service  for  the  various  festivals,  and  is  given  in  the 
preceding  context : — "  Sovereign  of  the  Universe  !  I  am 
thine,  and  my  dreams  are  thine.  I  have  dreamed  a  dream, 
but  know  not  what  it  portendeth.  May  it  be  acceptable 
in  Thy  presence,  O  Lord  my  God,  and  the  God  of  my 
fathers,  that  all  my  dreams  concerning  myself  and  con- 
cerning all  Israel  may  be  for  my  good.     Whether  I  have 


CHAPTER  XL  175 

dreamt  concerning  myself,  or  whether  I  have  dreamt 
concerning  others,  or  whether  others  have  dreamt  con- 
cerning me,  if  they  be  good,  strengthen  and  fortify  them, 
that  they  may  be  accomplished  in  me,  as  were  the  dreams 
of  the  righteous  Joseph ;  and  if  they  require  cure,  heal 
them  as  Thou  didst  Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah,  from  his 
sickness ;  as  Miriam  the  prophetess  from  her  leprosy, 
and  Naaman  from  his  leprosy ;  as  the  bitter  waters  of 
Marah  by  the  hands  of  our  legislator  Moses,  and  those 
of  Jericho  by  the  hands  of  Elisha.  And  as  Thou  wast 
pleased  to  turn  the  curse  of  Balaam,  the  son  of  Beor,  to 
a  blessing,  be  pleased  to  convert  all  my  dreams  concern- 
ing me  and  all  Israel  to  a  good  end.  Oh,  guard  me ;  let 
me  be  acceptable  to  Thee,  and  grant  me  life.     Amen."* 

65.  Eabbi  Levi  said,  "  Come  and  see  how  unlike  the 
character  of  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — is  to  that  of 
those  who  inherit  the  flesh  and  blood  of  humanity.  God 
blessed  Israel  with  twenty-two  benedictions  and  cursed 
them  with  eight  curses  (Lev.  xxvi.  3-13,  xv.  43).  But 
Moses,  our  Babbi,  blessed  them  with  eight  benedictions  and 
cursed  them  with  twenty-two  imprecations  "  (see  Deut. 
xxviii.  1-4,  xv.  68).  Bava  Bathra,  fol.  59,  col.  1. 

66.  Once  as  they  were  journeying  to  Chesib  (in  Pales- 
tine), some  of  Babbi  Akiva's  disciples  were  overtaken  by 
a  band  of  robbers,  who  demanded  to  know  where  they 
were  going  to.  "  We  are  going  to  Acco,"  was  the  reply  ; 
but  on  arriving  at  Chesib,  they  went  no  farther.  The* 
robbers  then  asked  them  who  they  were  ?  "  Disciples  of 
Babbi  Akiva,"  they  replied.  Upon  hearing  this  the  robbers 
exclaimed,  "  Blessed  surely  is  Babbi  Akiva  and  his  dis- 
ciples too,  for  no  man  can  ever  do  them  any  harm."  Once 
as  Babbi  Menasi  was  travelling  to  Thurtha  (in  Babylonia), 
some  thieves  surprised  him  on  the  road  and  asked  him 
where  he  was  bound  for.  "  For  Bumbeditha,"  was  the 
reply;  but  upon  reaching  Thurtha,  he  stayed  and  went 
no    farther.      The   highwaymen,   thus   balked,   retorted, 

*  The  translation  of  this  prayer  is  borrowed  from  the  Jewish  liturgy. 


1 76  A   TALMUD IC  MISCELLANY. 

"  Thou  art  the  disciple  of  Yehuda  the  deceiver !  "  "  Oh, 
you  know  my  master,  do  you  ? "  said  the  Eabbi.  "  Then 
in  the  name  of  God  be  every  one  of  you  anathematised." 
For  twenty-two  years  thereafter  they  carried  on  their 
nefarious  trade,  but  all  their  attempts  at  violence  ended 
only  in  disappointment.  Then  all  save  one  of  them  came 
to  the  Eabbi  and  craved  his  pardon,  which  was  immedi- 
ately granted.  The  one  who  did  not  come  to  confess  his 
guilt  and  obtain  absolution  was  a  weaver,  and  he  was 
eventually  devoured  by  a  lion.  Hence  the  proverbs,  "If 
a  weaver  does  not  humble  himself,  he  shortens  his  life  ;  " 
ai]d,  "Come  and  see  the  difference  there  is  between  the 
thieves  of  Babylon  and  the  banditti  of  the  land  of  Israel." 

Avodah  Zarah,  fol.  26,  col.  1. 

67.  Eabbi  Eliezer  ben  Hyrcanus  was  twenty-two  years 
of  age  when,  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  his  father,  he  went 
to  Eabbon  Yochanan  ben  Zaccai  purposing  to  devote  him- 
self to  the  study  of  the  law.  By  the  time  he  arrived  at 
Eabbon  Yochanan's  he  had  been  without  food  four-and- 
twenty  hours,  and  yet,  though  repeatedly  asked  whether 
he  had  had  anything  to  eat,  refused  to  confess  he  was 
hungry.  His  father  having  come  to  know  where  he  was, 
went  one  day  to  the  place  on  purpose  to  disinherit  him 
before  the  assembled  Eabbis.  It  so  happened  that  Eab- 
bon Yochanan  was  at  that  time  lecturing  before  some  of 
the  great  men  of  Jerusalem,  and  when  he  saw  the  father 
enter,  he  pressed  Eabbi  Eliezer  to  deliver  an  exposition. 
So  racy  and  cogent  were  his  observations  that  Eabbon 
Yochanan  rose  and  styled  him  his  own  Eabbi,  and  thanked 
him  in  the  name  of  the  rest  for  the  instruction  he  had 
afforded  them.  Then  the  father  of  Eabbi  Eliezer  said, 
"  Eabbis,  I  came  here  for  the  purpose  of  disinheriting  my 
son,  but  now  I  declare  him  sole  heir  of  all  I  have,  to  the 
exclusion  of  his  brothers."    Avoth  cCRab.  Nathan,  chap.  6. 

Note. — The  father  of  Eliezer  acts  more  magnanimously  by 
his  son  than  does  the  father  of  St.  Francis.     Like  the 


CHAPTER  XL  177 

Rabbi,  as  Mr.  Euskin  relates  in  his  "  Mornings  in 
Florence,"  St.  Francis,  one  of  whose  three  great  virtues 
was  obedience,  "begins  his  spiritual  life  by  quarrelling 
with  his  father.  He  '  commercially  invests '  some  of  his 
father's  goods  in  charity.  His  father  objects  to  that  invest- 
ment, on  which  St.  Francis  runs  away,  taking  what  he 
can  find  about  the  house  along  with  him.  His  father 
follows  to  claim  his  property,  but  finds  it  is  all  gone 
already,  and  that  St.  Francis  has  made  friends  with  the 
Bishop  of  Assisi.  His  father  flies  into  an  indecent 
passion,  and  declares  he  will  disinherit  him ;  on  which 
St.  Francis,  then  and  there,  takes  all  his  clothes  off, 
throws  them  frantically  in  his  father's  face,  and  says  he 
has  nothing  more  to  do  with  clothes  or  father." 

68.  Not  the  same  strict  scrutiny  is  required  in  money 
matters  as  in  cases  of  capital  punishment ;  for  it  is  said 
(Lev.  xxiv.  23),  "  Ye  shall  have  one  manner  of  law." 
What  distinction  is  there  made  between  them  ?  With 
regard  to  money  matters  three  judges  are  deemed  sufficient, 
while  in  cases  of  capital  offence  twenty-three  are  required, 
&c.  JSanhedrin,  fol.  32,  col.  1. 

69.  Rabbi  Yehoshua  ben  Levi  said,  "In  twenty -four 
cases  doth  the  tribunal  excommunicate  for  the  honour  of 
a  Rabbi,  and  all  are  explained  in  our  Mishna."  Rabbi 
Elazer  interposed  and  asked,  "  Where  are  they  ? "  The 
reply  was,  "  Go  and  seek,  and  thou  shalt  find."  He  went 
accordingly  and  sought,  but  found  only  three — the  case  of 
the  man  who  lightly  esteems  the  washing  of  hands ;  *  of 
him  who  whispers  evil  behind  the  bier  of  a  disciple  of  the 
wise;  and  of  him  who  behaves  haughtily  towards  the 
Most  High.  Berachoth,  fol.  19,  col.  1. 

Note. — There  are  three  degrees  of  excommunication,  uU 
KnDt?  Din,  i.e.,  separation,  exclusion,  and  execration. 
That  mentioned  in  the  above  extract  is  of  the  lowest  de- 
gree, and  lasts  never  less  than  thirty  days.  The  second 
degree  of  excommunication  is  a  prolongation  of  the  first 
by  thirty  days  more.     The  third  or  highest  degree  lasts 

*  Cf .  Matt.  xv.  2 ;  Mark  vii,  23. 

M 


178  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

for  an  indefinite  time.  See  Moed  Katon,  fol.  17,  col. 
1  ;  Shevuoth,  fol.  36,  coL  1 ;  and  consult  Index  II. 
appended. 

70.  A  certain  matron  NJTjntDD*  once  said  to  Eabbi 
Yehuda  ben  Elaei,  "Thy  face  is  like  that  of  one  who 
breeds  pigs  and  lends  money  on  usury."  He  replied, 
"  These  offices  are  forbidden  me  by  the  rules  of  my  religion, 
but  between  my  residence  and  the  academy  there  are 
twenty-four  latrinre  (NDDPT  JY2) ;  these  I  regularly  visit  as 
I  need."  Berachoth,  fol.  55,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  Rabbi  meant  to  say  that  paying  attention 
to  the  regular  action  of  his  excretory  organs  was  the 
secret  of  his  healthy  looks,  and  to  imply  that  a  dis- 
ordered stomach  is  the  root  of  most  diseases, — a  physio- 
logical opinion  well  worthy  of  regard  by  us  modems. 

71.  Rav  Birim  says  that  the  venerable  Rav  Benaah  once 
went  to  all  the  interpreters  of  dreams  in  Jerusalem,  twenty- 
four  in  number.  Every  one  of  them  gave  a  different  in- 
terpretation, and  each  was  fulfilled ;  which  substantiates 
the  saying  that  it  is  the  interpretation  and  not  the  dream 
that  comes  true.  Ibid.,  fol.  55,  col.  2. 

72.  Twenty-four  fasts  were  observed  by  the  men  of  the 
Great  Synagogue,  in  order  that  the  writers  of  books,  phy- 
lacteries, and  Mezuzahs  misdit  not  grow  rich,  lest  in  be- 
coming  rich  they  might  be  tempted  not  to  write  any 
more.  P'sachim,  fol.  50,  col.  2. 

73.  When  Solomon  was  desirous  of  conveying  the  Ark 
into  the  Temple,  the  doors  shut  themselves  of  their  own 
accord  against  him.  He  recited  twenty-four  psalms,  yet 
they  opened  not.  In  vain  he  cried,  "  Lift  up  your  heads, 
O  ye  gates  "  (Ps.  xxiv.  9).  But  when  he  prayed,  "  0  Lord 
God,  turn  not  Thy  face  away  from  Thine  anointed  ;  remem- 
ber the  mercies  of  David,  Thy  servant "  (2  Chron.  vi.  42), 
then  the  gates  flew  open  at  once.     Then  the  enemies  of 


CHAPTER  XL  179 

David  turned  black  in  the  face,  for  all  knew  by  this  that 
God  had  pardoned  David's  transgression  with  Bathsheba. 

Moed  Katon,  fol.  9,  col.  1. 

Note. — In  the  Midrash  Rabbah  (Devarim,  chap.  15)  the 
same  story  is  told,  with  this  additional  circumstance 
among  others,  that  a  sacred  respect  was  paid  to  the  gates 
when  the  Temple  was  sacked  at  the  time  of  the  Captivity. 
When  the  glorious  vessels  and  furniture  of  the  Temple 
were  being  carried  away  into  Babylon,  the  gates,  which 
were  so  zealous  for  the  glory  of  God,  were  buried  on  the 
spot  (see  Lam.  ii.  9),  there  to  await  the  restoration  of 
Israel.  This  romantic  episode  is  alluded  to  in  the 
n^jn,  or  closing  service  for  the  Day  of  Atonement.  (See 
the  Machzor,  D.  Levi's  edition,  p.  195.) 

74.  There  are  twenty-four  species  of  unclean  birds,  but 
the  clean  birds  are  innumerable.      Clmllin,  fol.  63,  col.  2. 

75.  In  twenty-four  places  priests  are  called  Levites,  and 
this  is  one  of  them  (Ezek.  xliv.  15),  "  But  the  priests,  the 
Levites,  the  sons  of  Zadok."  Tamid,  fol.  27,  coL  1. 

76.  There  are  tiocnty-four  extremities  of  members  in 
the  human  body  which  do  not  suffer  defilement  in  the 
case  of  diseased  flesh  (see  Lev.  xiii.  10,  24).  The  tip-ends 
of  the  fingers  and  toes,  the  edges  of  the  ears,  the  tip  of  the 
nose,  &c.  Negaim,  chap.  6,  mish.  7. 

yj.  Twenty-five  children  is  the  highest  number  there 
should  be  in  a  class  for  elementary  instruction.  There 
should  be  an  assistant  appointed,  if  there  be  forty  in 
number;  and  if  fifty,  there  should  be  two  competent 
teachers.  Bava  says,  "  If  there  be  two  teachers  in  a 
place,  one  teaching  the  children  more  than  the  other,  the 
one  that  teaches  less  is  not  to  be  dismissed,  because  if  so, 
the  other  is  liable  to  lapse  into  negligence  also."  Bav 
Deimi  of  Nehardaa,  on  the  other  hand,  thinks  the  dismissal 
of  the  former  will  make  the  latter  all  the  more  eager  to 
teach  more,  both  out  of  fear  lest  he  also  be  dismissed,  and 


i  So  A    TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

out  of  gratitude  that  he  has  been  preferred  to  the  other. 
Mar  says,  "  The  emulation  of  the  scribes  (or  teachers)  in- 
creaseth  wisdom."  Eava  also  says,  "When  there  are  two 
teachers,  one  teaching  much  but  superficially,  and  one 
teaching  thoroughly  but  not  so  much,  the  former  is  to  be 
preferred,  for  the  children  will,  in  the  long-run,  improve 
most  by  learning  much."  Bav  Deimi  of  Nehardaa,  how- 
ever, thinks  the  latter  is  to  be  preferred,  for  a  mistake  or 
an  error  once  learned  is  difficult  to  unlearn ;  as  it  is  written 
in  i  Kings  xi.  16,  "  For  six  months  did  Joab  remain  there 
with  all  Israel,  until  he  cut  off  every  male  ("IDT,  zachar) 
in  Edom."  When  David  asked  Joab  why  he  killed  only 
the  males  and  not  the  females,  he  replied,  "  Because  it  is 
written  in  Deut.  xxv.  19,  'Thou  shalt  blot  out  (p^D^  "IDT) 
the  male  portion  of  Amalek.'  "  "  But,"  said  David,  "  we 
read  ("OT,  zeichar)  '  the  remembrance  of  Amalek.' "  To 
this  Joab  replied,  "  My  teacher  taught  me  to  read  "IDT,  and 
not  "OT "  (zachar  and  not  zeichar),  i.e.,  male,  and  not  re- 
membrancc.  The  teacher  of  Joab  was  sent  for ;  and  being 
found  guilty  of  having  taught  his  pupil  in  a  superficial 
manner,  he  was  condemned  to  be  beheaded.  The  poor 
teacher  pleaded  in  vain  for  his  life,  for  the  king's  judg- 
ment was  based  on  Scripture  (Jer.  xlviii.  10),  "  Cursed  be 
he  that  doeth  the  work  of  the  Lord  deceitfully,  and  cursed 
be  he  that  keepeth  back  his  sword  from  blood." 

Bava  Bathra,  fol.  21,  col.  1. 

Note. — Teachers  will  excuse  me  if  I  ask  them  to  bear  this 
lesson  in  mind  when  they  impart  instruction  ! 

78.  The  Eomans  faithfully  observed  their  compact  with 
Israel  for  twenty-six  years.  After  that  time  they  began 
to  oppress  them.  Avoda  Zarah,  fol.  8,  col.  2. 

79.  The  Babbis  have  taught  that  a  small  salt  fish  will 
cause  death  if  partaken  of  after  seven,  seventeen,  or  twenty- 
seven  days;  some  say  after  twTenty-three  days.  This  is 
said  with  reference  to  half-cooked  fish,  but  when  properly 


CHAPTER  XL  i8i 

cooked  there  is  no  harm  in  it.  Neither  does  any  harm 
result  from  eating  half-cooked  fish,  if  strong  drink  (N"Dt#) 
be  taken  after  it.  Beraehoth,  fol.  44,  col.  2. 

80.  On  the  twenty -eighth  day  of  Adar  there  came  good 
news  to  the  Jews.  The  Eoman  Government  had  passed 
a  decree  ordaining  that  they  should  neither  study  the 
law,  nor  circumcise  their  children,  nor  observe  the  Sab- 
bath-days. Yehudah  ben  Shamua  and  his  associates  went 
to  consult  a  certain  matron,  whom  all  the  magnates  of 
Eome  were  in  the  habit  of  visiting.  She  advised  them 
to  come  at  night  and  raise  a  loud  outcry  against  the 
decree  they  complained  of.  They  did  so,  and  cried,  "  0 
heavens  !  are  we  not  your  brethren  ?  are  we  not  the  chil- 
dren of  one  mother  ?  "  (Alluding  to  Eebekah,  the  mother 
of  Jacob  and  Esau.)  "Wherein  are  vre  worse  than  all 
other  nations  and  tongues,  that  you  should  oppress  us 
with  such  harsh  decrees  ? "  Thereupon  the  decrees  were 
revoked ;  to  commemorate  which  the  Jews  established  a 
festival.  Rosh  Hashanah,  fol.  19,  col.  1. 

8r.  The  renewal  of  the  moon  comes  round  in  not  less 
than  twenty-nine  days  and  a  half  and  forty  minutes. 

Ibid.,  fol.  25,  col.  1. 

82.  Eav  Mari  reports  that  Eabbi  Yochanan  had  said, 
"  He  who  indulges  in  the  practice  of  eating  lentils  once 
in  thirty  days  keeps  away  quinsey,  but  they  are  not  good 
to  be  eaten  regularly  because  by  them  the  breath  is  cor- 
rupted." He  used  also  to  say  that  mustard  eaten  once 
in  thirty  days  drives  away  sickness,  but  if  taken  every 
day  the  action  of  the  heart  is  apt  to  be  affected. 

Berachothj  fol.  40,  col.  1. 

83.  He  who  eates  unripe  dates  and  does  not  wash  his 
hands  will  for  thirty  days  be  in  constant  fear,  without 
knowing  why,  of  something  untoward  happening. 

P'sachim,  fol.  in,  col.  2. 


1 82  A   TALMUD IC  MISCELLANY. 

84.  The  Eabbis  have  taught  that  *VP2,  the  lighter  kind  of 
excommunication,  is  not  to  last  less  than  thirty  days,  and 
HEPO,  censure,  not  less  than  seven.  The  latter  is  inferred 
from  what  is  said  in  Num.  xii.  14,  "  If  her  father  had 
hut  spit  in  her  face,  should  she  not  be  ashamed  seven 
days  ? "     (See  Note  to  No.  69,  supra.) 

Moed  Katon,  fol.  16,  col.  1. 

85.  If  we  meet  a  friend  during  any  of  the  thirty  days 
of  his  mourning  for  a  deceased  relative,  we  must  condole 
with  him  but  not  salute  him ;  but  after  that  time  he 
may  be  saluted  but  not  condoled  with.  If  a  man  (be- 
cause he  has  no  family)  re-marries  within  thirty  days  of 
the  death  of  his  wife,  he  should  not  be  condoled  with  at 
home  (lest  it  might  hurt  the  feelings  of  his  new  partner) ; 
but  if  met  with  out  of  doors,  he  should  be  addressed  in 
an  undertone  of  voice,  accompanied  with  a  slight  inclina- 
tion of  the  head.  Ibid.,  fol.  21,  col.  2. 

86.  During  the  thirty  days  of  mourning  for  deceased 
friends  or  relatives,  the  bereaved  should  not  trim  their 
hair ;  but  if  they  have  lost  their  parents,  they  are  not  to 
attend  to  such  matters  until  their  friends  force  them  to 
do  so.  Ibid.,  fol.  22,  coL  2. 

Sy.  "  And  Haman  told  them  of  the  glory  of  his  riches 
and  the  multitude  of  his  children"  (Esth.  v.  11).  And 
how  many  children  were  there  ?  Eav  said  thirty ;  ten 
had  died,  ten  were  hanged,  and  ten  went  about  begging 
from  door  to  door.  The  Eabbis  say,  "  Those  that  went 
about  begging  from  door  to  door  were  seventy ;  for  it  is 
written  ( 1  Sam.  ii.  5),  '  They  that  were  full  have  hired 
themselves  for  bread.' "  Eead  not  U^llV,  svyim  =  that 
were  full,  but  D'Tlttf,  shivim  =  seventy.  Rami  bar  Abba 
said,  "  They  were  two  hundred  and  eight  in  all ;  for  it  is 
said,  V22  2T)\  '  the  multitude  of  his  sons.' "  3*n,  by 
Gematria,  equals  two  hundred  and  eight,  &c. 

Meggillah,  fol.  15,  coL  2. 


CHAPTER  XL  183 

%%.  When  Eabbi  Chanena  bar  Pappa  was  about  to  die, 
the  Angel  of  Death  was  told  to  go  and  render  him  some 
friendly  service.  He  accordingly  went  and  made  himself 
known  to  him.  The  Eabbi  requested  him  to  leave  him 
for  thirty  days,  until  he  had  repeated  what  he  had  been 
learning ;  for  it  is  said,  "  Blessed  is  he  who  comes  here 
with  his  studies  in  his  hand."  He  accordingly  left,  and 
at  the  expiration  of  thirty  days  returned  to  him.  The 
Eabbi  then  asked  to  be  shown  his  place  in  Paradise,  and 
the  Ansjel  of  Death  consented  to  show  him  while  life  was 
still  in  him.  Then  said  the  Eabbi,  "  Lend  me  thy  sword, 
lest  thou  surprise  me  on  the  road  and  cheat  me  of  my 
expectation."  To  this  the  Angel  of  Death  said,  "Dost 
thou  mean  to  serve  me  as  thy  friend  Eabbi  Yoshua  did  ? " 
and  he  declined  to  intrust  the  sword  to  the  Eabbi.  (See 
chap.  ix.  No.  7,  note,  supra)        Kethuboth,  fol.  77,  col.  2. 

89.  If  a  man  says  to  a  woman,  "  Thou  art  betrothed  to 
me  after  thirty  days,"  and  in  the  interim  another  comes 
and  betroths  her,  she  is  the  second  suitor's. 

Kiddushin,  fol.  58,  col.  2. 

Note. — Is  this  on  the  principle  that  a  bird  in  the  hand  is 
worth  two  in  the  bush  t 

90.  If  one  finds  a  scroll,  he  may  peruse  it  once  in  thirty 
days,  but  he  must  not  teach  out  of  it,  nor  may  another 
join  him  in  reading  it ;  if  he  does  not  know  how  to  read, 
he  must  unroll  it.  If  a  garment  be  found,  it  should  be 
shaken  and  spread  out  once  in  thirty  days,  for  its  own 
sake  (to  preserve  it),  but  not  for  display.  Silver  and 
copper  articles  should  be  used  to  take  care  of  them,  but 
not  for  the  sake  of  ornament.  Gold  and  glass  vessels  he 
should  not  meddle  with  1H^^  N"i:ntf  IV— till  the  coming 
of  Elijah.  Bava  Metzia,  fol.  29,  col.  2. 

91.  Eabbi  Zira  so  inured  his  body  (to  endurance)  that 
the  fire  of  Gehenna  had  no  power  over  it.     Every  thirty 


1 84  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

days  he  experimented  on  himself,  ascending  a  fiery  furnace, 

and  finally  sitting  down  in  the  midst  of  it  without  beino- 

affected  by  the  fire.     One  day,  however,   as  the  Eabbis 

fixed  their  eyes  upon  him,  his  hips  became  singed,  and 

from  that  day  onward  he  was  noted  in  Jewry  as  the  little 

man  with  the  singed  hips.        Bava  Metzia,  fol.  85,  col.  1. 

Note.— This  is  the  anticlimax  of  the  saying  ascribed  to  the 

people  of  Verona  when  they  pointed  out  to  a  stranger 

the  passing  figure  of  the  sorrow-stricken  Dante,  "  See  ! 

there  goes  the  man  that  has  been  in  hell." 

92.  An  Arab  once  said  to  Eabbah  bar  bar  Channah, 
"  Come  and  I  will  show  thee  the  place  where  Korah  and 
his  accomplices  were  swallowed  up."  "  There,"  says  the 
Kabbi,  "  I  observed  smoke  coming  out  from  two  cracks 
in  the  ground.  Into  one  of  these  he  inserted  some  wool 
tied  on  to  the  end  of  his  spear,  and  when  he  drew  it  out 
again  it  was  scorched.  Then  he  bade  me  listen.  I  did  so, 
and  as  I  listened  heard  them  groan  out,  '  Moses  and  his 
law  are  true,  but  we  are  liars/  The  Arab  then  told  me 
that  they  come  round  to  this  place  once  in  every  thirty 
days,  being  stirred  about  in  the  hell-surge  like  meat  in  a 
boiling  caldron."  Bava  Bathra,  fol.  74,  col.  1. 

93.  Eabbi  Yochanan,  in  expounding  Isa.  liv.  12,  said, 
"The  Holy  One— blessed  be  He! — will  bring  precious 
stones  and  pearls,  each  measuring  thirty  cubits  by  thirty, 
and  polishing  them  down  to  twenty  cubits  by  ten,  will 
place  them  in  the  gates  of  Jerusalem."  A  certain  dis- 
ciple contemptuously  observed,  "  No  one  has  ever  yet  seen 
a  precious  stone  as  large  as  a  small  bird's  egg,  and  is  it 
likely  that  such  immense  ones  as  these  have  any  exis- 
tence ? "  He  happened  one  day  after  this  to  go  forth  on 
a  voyage,  and  there  in  the  sea  he  saw  the  angels  quarrying 
precious  stones  and  pearls  like  those  his  Eabbi  had  told 
him  of,  and  upon  inquiry  he  learned  that  they  were  in- 
tended for  the  gates  of  Jerusalem.  On  his  return  he  went 
straight  to  Eabbi  Yochanan  and  told  him  what  he  had 


CHAPTER  XL  185 

seen  and  heard.  "  Eaca ! "  said  the  latter,  "  hadst  thou 
not  seen  them  thou  wouldst  have  kept  on  deriding  the 
words  of  the  wise  ! "  Then  fixing  his  gaze  intently  upon 
him,  he  with  the  glance  of  his  eye  reduced  to  a  heap  of 
bones  the  carcase  of  his  body. 

Bava  Bathra,  fol.  75,  col.  1. 

94.  He  who  lends  unconditionally  a  sum  of  money  to 
his  neighbour  is  not  entitled  to  demand  it  back  within 
thirty  days  thereafter.  Maccoth,  fol.  3,  col.  2. 

95.  If  a  man  has  lost  a  relative,  he  is  forbidden  to 
engage  in  business  until  thirty  days  after  the  death.  In 
the  case  of  the  decease  of  a  father  or  a  mother,  he  is  not 
to  resume  work  until  his  friends  rebuke  him  and  urge 
him  to  return.  Semachoth,  chap.  9. 

96.  It  is  unlawful  for  one  to  enter  a  banqueting-house 
for  thirty  days  after  the  death  of  a  relative ;  but  he  must 
refrain  from  so  doing  for  twelve  months  after  the  demise 
of  either  father  or  mother,  unless  on  the  behest  of  some 
higher  requirement  of  piety.  Ibid. 

97.  But  I  know  not  whether  there  are  thirty  righteous 
men  here  and  fifteen  in  the  land  of  Israel,  or  vice  versa. 
(See  ante,  No.  47.)  Chullin,  fol.  92,  col.  1. 

98.  Thirty  days  in  a  year  are  equivalent  to  a  whole 
year.  Niddah,  fol.  44,  col.  2. 

Note. — Almost  answering  to  the  well-known  proverb,  "  An- 
nus inceptus  habetur  pro  completo," — a  year  begun  is 
regarded  as  completed  ;  but  see  the  context. 

99.  "  Moses,  thou  didst  say  unto  me,  '  What  is  Thy 
name  ? '  And  now  thou  dost  say,  '  Neither  hast  Thou 
delivered  Thy  people  at  all.'  Now  shalt  thou  see  what 
I  will  do  to  Pharaoh  (Exod.  v.  23,  vi.  1),  but  not  what  I 
am  about  to  do  to  the  thirty-one  kings." 

Sanhedrin,  fol.  111,  col.  1. 

100.  When  Eav  Deimi  arrived  at  Babylon,  he  reported 


1 85  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

that  the  Romans  had  fought  thirty-two  battles  with  the 
Greeks  without  once  conquering  them,  until  they  allied 
themselves  with  Israel,  on  the  stipulation  that  where 
Pome  appointed  the  commanding  officers  the  Jews  should 
appoint  the  governors,  and  vice  versa. 

Avodah  Zarah,  fol.  8,  col.  2. 

101.  Manasseh  did  penance  thirty-three  years. 

Sanhedrin,  fol.  103,  coL  1. 

102.  Balaam  was  thirty-three  years  of  age  when  Phineas, 
the  robber,  slew  him.  Ibid.,  foL  106,  col.  2. 

103.  For  thirty-four  years  the  kingdom  of  Persia  lasted 
contemporaneously  with  the  Temple. 

Avodah  Zarali,  fol.  9,  col.  1. 

104.  Abaii  has  said,  "  There  are  never  fewer  than  thirty- 
six  righteous  men  in  every  generation  who  receive  the 
presence  of  the  Shechinah;  for  it  is  said  (Isa.  xxx.  18), 
'  Blessed  are  all  those  who  wait  upon  Him' "  The  nume- 
rical value  (by  Gematria)  of  Him,  •)*?,  is  thirty-six. 

Sanhedrin,  fol.  97,  coL  2. 

105.  The  sons  of  Esau,  of  Ishmael,  and  of  Keturah 
went  on  purpose  to  dispute  the  burial  (of  Jacob) ;  but  when 
they  saw  that  Joseph  had  placed  his  crown  upon  the 
coffin,  they  did  the  same  with  theirs.  There  were  thirty- 
six  crowns  in  all,  tradition  says.  "And  they  mourned 
with  a  great  and  very  sore  lamentation."  Even  the  very 
horses  and  asses  joined  in  it,  we  are  told.  On  arriving  at 
the  Cave  of  Machpelah,  Esau  once  more  protested,  and 
said,  "Adam  and  Eve,  Abraham  and  Sarah,  Isaac  and 
llebekah,  are  all  buried  here.  Jacob  disposed  of  his  share 
when  he  buried  Leah  in  it,  and  the  remaining  one  belongs 
to  me."  "  But  thou  didst  sell  thy  share  with  thy  birth- 
right," remonstrated  the  sons  of  Jacob.  "  Nay,"  rejoined 
Esau,  "  that  did  not  include  my  share  in  the  burial-place." 
"  Indeed  it  did,"  they  argued,  "  for  our  father,  just  before 
he  died,  said  (Gen.  1.  5)/  In  my  grave  which  I  have  bought 


CHAPTER  XL  187 

for  myself.' "  "  Where  are  the  title-deeds  ?  "  demanded 
Esau.  "  In  Egypt,"  was  the  answer.  And  immediately 
the  swift-footed  Naphthali  started  for  the  records.  ("  So 
light  of  foot  was  he,"  says  the  Book  of  Jasher,  "  that  he 
could  go  upon  the  ears  of  corn  without  crushing  them.") 
Hushim,  the  son  of  Dan,  being  deaf,  asked  what  was  the 
cause  of  the  commotion.  On  being  told  what  it  was,  he 
snatched  up  a  club  and  smote  Esau  so  hard  that  his  eyes 
dropped  out  and  fell  upon  the  feet  of  Jacob ;  at  whicli 
Jacob  opened  his  eyes  and  grimly  smiled.  This  is  that 
which  is  written  (Ps.  lviii.  10),  "The  righteous  shall  re- 
joice when  he  sees  vengeance  ;  he  shall  wash  his  feet  in 
the  blood  of  the  wicked."  Then  Eebekah's  prophecy 
came  to  pass  (Gen.  xxvii.  45),  "  Why  shall  I  be  deprived 
also  of  you  both  in  one  day  ? "  Eor  although  they  did 
not  both  die  on  the  same  day,  they  were  both  buried  on 
the  same  day.  Soteh,  fol.  13,  col.  1. 

Note. — This  story,  slightly  varied,  is  repeated  in  the  Book  of 
Jasher  and  in  the  Targum  of  Ben  Uzziel. 

106.  The  principal  works  of  the  hand  are  forty  save 
one : — To  sow,  to  plough,  to  reap,  to  bind  in  sheaves,  to 
thrash,  to  winnow,  to  sift  corn,  to  grind,  to  bolt  meal,  to 
knead,  to  bake,  to  shear,  to  wash  wool,  to  comb  wool,  to 
dye  it,  to  spin,  to  warp,  to  shoot  two  threads,  to  weave 
two  threads,  to  cut  and  tie  two  threads,  to  tie,  to  untie, 
to  sew  two  stiches,  to  tear  two  threads  with  intent  to  sew, 
to  hunt  game,  to  slay,  to  skin,  to  salt  a  hide,  to  singe,  to 
tan,  to  cut  up  a  skin,  to  write  two  letters,  to  scratch  out  two 
letters  with  intent  to  write,  to  build,  to  pull  down,  to  put 
out  a  fire,  to  light  a  fire,  to  smite  with  a  hammer,  to  convey 
from  one  Beshuth*  to  another.     Shabbath,  fol.  73,  col.  1. 

107.  King  Yanai  had  a  single  tree  on  the  royal  mound, 
whence  once  a  month  they  collected  forty  seahs  (about 
fifteen  bushels)  of  young  pigeons  of  three  different  breeds. 

JBerachoth,  foL  44,  col.  1. 

*  A  private  property  in  opposition  to  a  public. 


iSS  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

1 08.  Forty  years  before  the  destruction  of  the  Temple 
the  Sanhedrin  were  exiled,  and  they  sat  in  the  Halls  of 
Commerce.  Shabbath,  fol.  15,  col.  1. 

109.  Until  one  is  forty  eating  is  more  advantageous 
than  drinking.     After  that  age  the  rule  is  reversed. 

Ibid.,  fol.  152,  col.  1. 

1 10.  The  Eabbis  have  taught  that  during  the  forty  years 
in  which  Simeon  the  Just  officiated  in  the  Temple  the  lot 
always  fell  on  the  right  (see  Lev.  xvi.  8-10).  After  that 
time  it  sometimes  fell  on  the  right  and  sometimes  on  the 
left.  The  crimson  band  also,  which  in  his  time  had 
always  turned  white,  after  that  period  sometimes  turned 
white,  and  at  others  it  did  not  change  colour  at  all. 

Yoma,  fol.  39,  col.  1. 

111.  The  Eabbis  have  taught: — Forty  years  before  the 
destruction  of  the  Temple  the  lot  did  not  fall  on  the 
right,  and  the  crimson  band  did  not  turn  white ;  the  light 
in  the  west  did  not  burn,  and  the  gates  of  the  Temple 
opened  of  themselves,  so  that  Eabbi  Yochanan  ben  Zac- 
chai  rebuked  them,  and  said,  "  0  Temple  !  Temple !  why 
art  thou  dismayed  ?  I  know  thy  end  will  be  that  thou 
shalt  be  destroyed,  for  Zachariah  the  son  of  Iddo  has 
already  predicted  respecting  thee  (Zech.  xi.  1),  '  Open  thy 
doors,  0  Lebanon,  that  the  fire  may  devour  thy  cedars.'" 

Ibid.,  fol.  39,  col.  2. 

1 1 2.  During  the  forty  years  that  Israel  were  in  the 
wilderness  there  was  not  a  midnight  in  which  the  north 
wind  did  not  blow.  Yevamoth,  fol.  71,  col.  1. 

113.  Eabbi  Zadok  fasted  forty  years  that  Jerusalem 
might  not  be  destroyed,  and  so  emaciated  was  he,  that 
when  he  ate  anything  it  might  be  seen  going  down  his 
throat.  Gittin,  fol.  56,  col.  1. 


CHAPTER  XL  189 

1 14.  Forty  days  before  the  formation  of  a  child  a  Bath 
Kol  proclaims,  "  The  daughter  of  so-and-so  shall  marry 
the  son  of  so-and-so ;  the  premises  of  so-and-so  shall  be 
the  property  of  so-and-so."  Soteh,  fol.  2,  col.  1. 

115.  Eav  Hunna  and  Eav  Chasda  were  so  angry  with 
one  another  that  they  did  not  meet  for  forty  years.  After 
that  Eav  Chasda  fasted  forty  days  for  having  annoyed 
Eav  Hunna,  and  Eav  Hunna  fasted  forty  days  for  having 
suspected  Eav  Chasda.  Bava  Metzia,  fol.  33,  col.  1. 

1 16.  A  female  who  marries  at  forty  will  never  have  any 
children.     (See  No.  59,  supra.) 

1 1 7.  He  who  eats  black  cummin  the  weight  of  a  denarius 
will  have  his  heart  torn  out;  so  also  will  he  who  eats 
forty  eggs  on  forty  nuts,  or  a  quarter  of  honey. 

Tract  Calah. 

118.  He  that  cooks  in  milk  the  nerve  Nashe  (TVDin  TJ 
i.e.,  "the  sinew  that  shrank")  on  a  yearly  festival,  and 
then  eats  it,  receives  five  times  forty  stripes  save  one,  &c. 
(See  chap.  v.  16,  supra.)  Baitza,  fol.  12,  col.  1. 

119.  He  who  passes  forty  consecutive  days  without 
suffering  some  affliction  has  received  his  good  reward  in 
his  lifetime  (cf.  Luke  xvi.  25).         Erachin,  fol.  16,  col.  2. 

1 20.  If  a  bath  contain  forty  measures  of  water  and  some 
mud,  people  may,  according  to  Eabbi  Elazar,  immerse  them- 
selves in  the  water  of  it,  but  not  in  the  mud ;  while  Eabbi 
Yehoshua  says  they  may  do  so  in  both. 

Mikvaoth,  chap.  ii.  10. 

121.  Eav  Yehudah  said  in  the  name  of  Eav : — The  Divine 
name,  which  consists  of  forty-two  letters,  is  revealed  only  to 
him  who  is  prudent  and  meek,  who  has  reached  the  meri- 
dian of  life,  is  not  prone  to  wrath,  not  given  to  drink,  and 


iqo  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

not  revengeful.  He  that  knows  that  name,  and  acts 
circumspectly  in  regard,  to  it,  and  retains  it  sacredly,  is 
beloved  in  heaven  and  esteemed  on  earth ;  he  inspires 
men  with  reverence,  and  is  heir  both  to  the  world  that 
now  is  and  that  which  is  to  come. 

KiddasMn,  fol.  71,  col.  t. 

122.  A  man  should  always  devote  himself  to  the  study 
of  the  law  and  to  the  practice  of  good  deeds,  even  if  he 
does  not  do  so  for  their  own  sake,  as  self-satisfied  per- 
formance may  follow  in  due  course.  Thus,  in  recom- 
pense for  the  forty-two  sacrifices  he  offered,  Balak  was 
accounted  worthy  to  become  the  ancestor  of  Ruth.  Rav 
Yossi  bar  Hunna  has  said,  Ruth  was  the  daughter  of  Ecrlon, 
the  grandson  of  Balak,  king  of  Moab. 

Sariliedrin,  fol.  105,  col.  2. 

123.  These  are  the  forty-Jive  righteous  men  for  whose 
sake  the  world  is  preserved.     (See  ante,  No.  47.) 

Chullin,  fol.  92,  col.  1. 

124.  Rabbi  Meir  had  a  disciple  named  Sumchus,  who 
in  every  case  assigned  forty-eight  reasons  why  one  thing 
should  be  called  clean  and  why  another  should  be  called 
unclean,  though  Scripture  declared  the  contrary.  (A 
striking  illustration  of  Rabbinical  ingenuity  !) 

Eiruvin,  fol.  13,  col.  2. 

125.  Forty-eight  prophets  and  seven  prophetesses  pro- 
phesied unto  Israel,  and  they  have  neither  diminished 
nor  added  to  that  which  is  written  in  the  law,  except  the 
reading  of  the  Book  of  Esther.       Megittah,  fol.  14,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  Rabbis  teach  that  in  future  (in  the  days  of  the 
Messiah)  all  Scripture  will  be  abolished  except  the 
Book  of  Esther,  also  all  festivals  except  the  feast  of 
Purim.      (See  Menorath  Hamaor,  fol.  135,  col.  1.) 

126.  By  forty -eight  things  the  law  is  acquired.  These 
are  study,  attention,  careful  conversation,  mental  discern- 
ment, solicitude,  reverential  fear,  meekness,  geniality  of 


CHAPTER  XL  191 

soul,  purity,  attention  to  the  wise,  mutual  discussion, 
debating,  sedateness,  learning  in  the  Scripture  and  the 
Mislma,  not  dabbling  in  commerce,  self-denial,  moderation 
in  sleep,  aversion  to  gossip,  &c,  &c.  Avoth,  chap.  6. 

127.  When  God  gave  the  law  to  Moses,  He  assigned 
forty-nine  reasons  in  every  case  for  pronouncing  one  thing 
unclean  and  as  many  for  pronouncing  other  things  clean. 

Sophrim,  chap.  16,  mish.  6. 

128.  He  that  has  fifty  zouzim,  and  trades  therewith,  may 
not  glean  what  is  left  in  the  corner  of  the  field  (Lev.  xix. 
9).  He  that  takes  it,  and  has  no  right  to  it,  will  come  to 
want  before  the  day  of  his  departure.  And  if  one  who 
is  entitled  to  it  leaves  it  to  others  more  needy,  before  he 
dies  he  will  not  only  be  able  to  support  himself,  but  be  a 
stay  to  others.  Peak,  chap.  8,  mish.  9. 

129.  Fifty  measures  of  understanding  were  created  in 
the  world,  and  all  except  one  were  given  to  Moses ;  as  it 
is  said  (Ps.  viii.  5),  "Thou  hast  made  him  a  little  lower 
than  the  angels."  Bosh  Hashanah,  fol.  21,  col.  2. 

1 30.  Poverty  in  a  house  is  harder  to  bear  than  fifty 
plagues.  Bava  Bathra,  fol.  116,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  above  saying  is  based  on  Job  xix.  21,  compared 
with  Exod.  viii.  19. 

131.  For  fifty-two  years  no  man  travelled  through  the 
land  of  Judea.  Yoma,  fol.  54,  col.  1. 

132.  Black  cummin  is  one  of  the  sixty  deadly  drugs. 

Berachoth,  fol.  40,  col.  1. 

133.  Ulla  and  Eav  Chasda  were  once  travelling  together, 
when  they  came  up  to  the  gate  of  the  house  of  Eav  Chena 
bar  Chenelai.  At  sight  of  it  Eav  Chasda  stooped  and 
sighed.  "  Why  sighest  thou  ?  "  asked  Ulla,  "  seeing,  as 
Eav  says,  sighing   breaks   the  body  in  halves;  for  it  is 


192  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

Ezek.  xxi.  6 .  !  Sigh,  therefore,  0  son  of  nian,  with 
the  breaking  of  thy  loins:5  and  Eabbi  Yochanan  says  a 
sigh  breaks  up  the  whole  constitution ;  for  it  is  said  (Ezek. 
xxi.  r ).  '  And  it  shall  be  when  they  say  unto  thee,  Where- 
fore sighest  thou  ?  that  thou  shalt  answer,  For  the  tidings 
because  it  cometh,  and  the  whole  heart  shall  melt,' "  ecc. 
this  Lav  Chasda  replied,  "  How  can  I  help  sighing 
over  this  house,  where  sixty  bakers  used  to  be  employed 
during  the  day,  and  sixty  during  the  night,  to  make  bread 
for  the  poor  and  needy ;  and  Eav  Chena  had  his  hand 
always  at  his  purse,  for  he  thought  the  slightest  hesitation 
might  cause  a  poor  but  respectable  man  to  blush;  and 
esides  he  kept  four  doors  open,  one  to  each  quarter  of  the 
ns:  c:  that  all  might  enter  and  be  satisfied  ?  Over 
and  above  this,  in  time  of  famine  he  scattered  wheat  and 
barley  abroad,  so  that  they  who  were  ashamed  to  gather 
by  dav  mi^rht  do  so  by  nicrht ;  but  now  this  house  has 
fallen  into  ruin,  and  ought  I  not  to  sigh  ? " 

Berachotk,  foL  5S,  col.  2. 

154.  Egypt  is  a  sixtieth  of  Ethiopia,  Ethiopia  a  sixtieth 

le  world,  the  world  is  a  sixtieth  part  of  the  garden  of 

Eden,  the  garden  itself  is  but  a  sixtieth  of  Eden,  and  Eden 

rehenna.     Hence  the  world  in  proportion  to 

::na  is  but  as  the  lid  to  a  caldron. 

P's'jxliim,  foL  94,  col.  1. 

".  They  led  forth   Metatron  and   struck  him  sixty 
stinadoes  (Eashi,  nHJHDEQ]  with  a  cudgel  of  fire. 

Chaggigah,  foL  15,  col.  1. 

Note. — In  the  context  of  the  foregoing  quotation  occurs  an 
anecdote  of  Eabbi  Elisha  ben  Abuyah  which  is  too  racy 
to  let  pass,  and  too  characteristic  to  need  note  or  com- 
ment. One  day  Elisha  ben  Abuyah  was  privileged  to 
pry  into  Paradise,  where  he  saw  the  recording  angel 
Metatron  on  a  seat  registering  the  merits  of  the  holy  of 
Israel.  Struck  with  astonishment  at  the  sight,  he  ex- 
claimed, "Is  it  not  laid  down  that  there  is  no  sitting  in 
heaven,  no  shortsightedness  or  fatigue  ? "    Then  Metatron. 


CHAPTER  XL  193 

thus  discovered,  was  ordered  out  and  flogged  with  sixty 
lashes  from  a  fiery  scourge.  Smarting  with  pain,  the 
angel  asked  and  obtained  leave  to  cancel  the  merits  of 
the  prying  Rabbi.  One  day — it  chanced  to  be  on  Yom 
Kippur  and  Sabbath — as  Elisha  was  riding  along  by  the 
wall  where  the  Holy  of  Holies  once  stood,  he  heard  a 
Bath  Kol  proclaiming,  "  Return,  ye  backsliding  children, 
but  Acher  abide  thou  in  thy  sin  "  ( Acher  was  the  Rabbi's 
nickname).  A  faithful  disciple  of  his  hearing  this,  and 
bent  on  reclaiming  and  reforming  him,  invited  him  to 
go  and  hear  the  lads  of  a  school  close  by  repeat  their 
lessons.  The  Rabbi  went,  and  from  that  to  another 
and  another,  until  he  had  gone  the  round  of  a  dozen 
seminaries,  in  the  last  of  which  he  called  up  a  lad  to 
repeat  a  verse  who  had  an  impediment  in  his  speech. 
The  verse  happened  to  be  Ps.  1.  16,  ''But  unto  the 
wicked,  God  saith,  Why  dost  thou  declare  my  law?"  Acher 
fancied  the  boy  said  y&fy&yij  and  to  Elisha  (his  own 
name),  instead  of  yzrfal,  and  to  Basha,  that  is,  the  AvickecL 
This  roused  the  Rabbi  into  such  fury  of  passion,  that 
he  sprang  to  his  feet,  exclaiming,  "  If  I  only  had  a  knife 
at  hand  I  would  cut  this  boy  into  a  dozen  pieces,  and 
send  a  piece  to  each  school  I  have  visited  ! " 

136.  A  woman  of  sixty  tubs  after  music  like  a  girl  of 
six.  Mi  ed  Katon,  foL  9,  col.  2. 

137.  Rabba,  who  only  studied  the  law,  lived  forty  years  ; 
Abaii,  who  both  studied  the  law  and  exercised  benevo- 
lence, lived  sixty.  Bosh  Hashanah,  fol.  18,  col.  1. 

138.  The  manna  which  came  down  upon  Israel  was 
sixty  ells  deep.  Yoma,  fol.  76,  col.  1. 

1 39.  It  is  not  right  for  a  man  to  sleep  in  the  daytime 
any  longer  than  a  horse  sleeps.  And  how  long  is  the  sleep 
of  a  horse  ?     Sixty  respirations.        Succah,  foL  26,  col.  2. 

140.  Abaii  says.  "  When  I  left  Kabbah,  I  was  not  at  all 
hungry ;  but  when  I  arrived  at  Meree,  they  served  up 
before  me  sixty  dishes,  with  as  many  sorts  of  viands,  and 


194  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

I  ate  half  of  each,  but  as  for  HTTp  ^S;  hotch-potch, 
which  the  last  dish  contained,  I  ate  up  all  of  it,  and  would 
fain  have  eaten  up  the  dish  too."  Abaii  said,  "This 
illustrates  the  proverb,  current  among  the  people,  '  The 
poor  man  is  hungry,  and  does  not  know  when  he  has  eaten 
enough ;  or,  there  is  always  room  for  a  tit-bit.'  " 

Meg  Mali,  fol.  7,  col.  2. 

Xote. — mip  ^V  literally  means  Pot-roast;  meat  hermetically 
sealed  in  a  pot  and  then  baked  in  a  closed  oven. 

141.  There  are  sixty  kinds  of  wine;  the  best  of  all  is 
the  red  aromatic  wine,  and  bad  white  wine  is  the  worst. 

Gift  in,  fol.  70,  coL  1. 

142.  Samson's  shoulders  were  sixty  ells  broad. 

/Sot eh,  fol.  10,  col.  1. 

143.  Ebal  and  Gerizim  were  sixty  miles  from  Jordan. 

Ibid.,  fol.  36,  coL  1. 

144.  One  who  makes   a  good   breakfast  can  outstrip 
sixty  runners  in  a  race  (who  have  not). 

Bava  Kama,  fol.  92,  col.  2. 

145.  A  (hungry)   person  who  looks  on  while  another 
eats,  experiences  sixty  unpleasant  sensations  in  his  teeth.. 

Ibid. 

146.  His  wife  made  him  daily  sixty  sorts  of  dainties, 
and  these  restored  him  a<rain. 

o 

Bava  Metzia,  fol.  84,  col.  2.  ' 
Kote. — Rabbi  Elazar,  the  son  of  Rabbi  Shimon,  once  vindic- 
tively caused  a  man  to  be  put  to  death,  merely  because  he 
had  spoken  of  him  as  Vinegar  the  son  of  Wine,  a  round- 
about way  of  reproaching  him  that  he  was  the  bad  son  of 
a  good  father,  though  it  turned  out  afterwards  that  the 
condemned  man  deserved  death  for  a  crime  (13 31  KirUP 
DniS'On  DV3  ntmxn  mm  17JD)  that  he  was  not  known 
to  be  guilty  of  at  the  time  of  his  execution  ;  yet  the  mind 
of  the  Rabbi  was  ill  at  ease,  and  he  voluntarily  did 
penance  by  subjecting  himself  in  a  peculiar  fashion  to 
great  bodily  suffering.  Sixty  woollen  cloths  were  regu- 
larly spread  under  him  every  night,  and  these  were  found 


CHAPTER  XL  195 

soaked  in  the  morning  with  his  profuse  perspiration. 
The  result  of  this  was  greater  and  greater  bodily  pros- 
tration, which  liis  wife  strove,  as  related  above,  day  after 
day  to  repair,  detaining  him  from  College,  lest  the  debates 
there  should  prove  too  much  for  his  weakened  frame. 
When  his  wife  found  that  he  persisted  in  courting  these 
sufferings,  and  that  her  tender  care,  as  well  as  her  own  pat- 
rimony, were  being  lavished  on  him  in  vain,  she  tired  of 
her  assiduity,  and  left  him  to  his  fate.  And  now,  waited 
on  by  some  sailors,  who  believed  they  owed  to  him  deliver- 
ance from  a  watery  grave,  he  was  free  to  do  as  he  liked. 
One  day,  being  ministered  to  by  them  after  a  night's 
perspiration  of  the  kind  referred  to,  he  went  straight  to 
college,  and  there  decided  sixty  doubtful  cases  against 
the  unanimous  dissent  of  the  assembly.  Providential 
circumstances,  which  happened  afterwards,  both  proved 
that  he  was  right  in  his  judgment  and  that  his  wife  was 
wrong  in  suffering  her  fondness  for  him  to  stand  in  the 
way  of  the  performance  of  his  public  duties. 

147.  Elijah  frequently  attended  the  Eabbi's  seat  of  in- 
struction (tf  J12\n2),  and  once,  on  the  first  of  a  month,  he 
came  in  later  than  usual.  Eabbi  asked  what  had  kept 
him  so  late.  Elijah  answered,  "  I  have  to  wake  up  Abra- 
ham, Isaac,  and  Jacob  one  after  the  other,  to  wash  the 
hands  of  each,  and  to  wait  until  each  has  said  his  prayers 
and  retired  to  rest  again."  "  But,"  said  Rabbi,  "  why  do 
they  not  all  get  up  at  the  same  time  ?  "  The  answer  was, 
"  Because  if  they  prayed  all  at  once,  their  united  prayers 
would  hurry  on  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  before  the 
time  appointed."  Then  said  Eabbi,  "  Are  there  any  such 
praying  people  among  us  ? "  Elijah  mentioned  Eabbi 
Cheyah  and  his  sons.  Then  Eabbi  announced  a  fast,  and 
the  Eabbi  Cheyah  and  his  sons  came  to  celebrate  it.  In 
the  course  of  repeating  the  Shemoneh  Esreh  *  they  were 
about  to  say,  "  Thou  restorest  life  to  the  dead  "  when  the 
world  was  convulsed,  and  the  question  was  asked  in 
heaven,  "  Who  told  them  the  secret  ? "  So  Elijah  was  bas- 
tinadoed sixty  strokes  with  a  cudgel  of  fire.     Then   he 

*  A  prayer  consisting  of  eighteen  Collects,  which  is  repeated  three  times 
each  day. 


195  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

came  down  like  a  fiery  bear,  and  dashing  in  among  the 
people,  scattered  the  congregation.    (See  No.  135,  supra.) 

Bava  Metzia,  fol.  85,  col.  2. 

148.  When  love  was  strong,  we  could  lie,  as  it  were,  on 
the  edge  of  a  sword ;  but  now,  when  love  is  diminished,  a 
bed  sixty  ells  wide  is  not  broad  enough  for  us. 

Scnihedrin,  fol.  7,  col.  1. 

149.  The  pig  bears  in  sixty  days. 

Bechoroth,  fol.  8,  col.  1. 

1 50.  Sixty  iron  mines  are  suspended  in  the  sting  of  a 
gnat.  Chulliti,  fol.  58,  col.  2. 

151.  An  egg  once  dropped  out  of  the  nest  of  a  bird 
called  Bar-Yuchnei,  which  deluged  sixty  cities  and  swept 
away  three  hundred  cedars.  The  question  therefore  arose, 
"  Does  the  bird  generally  throw  out  its  eggs  ?  "  Eav  Ashi 
replied,  "  No ;  that  was  a  rotten  one." 

Bechoroth,  fol.  57,  col.  2. 

152.  Everybody  knows  why  a  bride  enters  the  nuptial 
chamber,  but  against  him  who  sullies  his  lips  by  talking 
about  it,  the  decree  for  good,  though  of  seventy  years'  stand- 
ing, shall  be  reversed  into  a  decree  for  evil.  Eav  Chasda 
says,  "  Whosoever  disgraces  his  mouth  (by  evil  communi- 
cation), Gehenna  shall  be  deepened  for  him ;  for  it  is  said 
in  Prov.  xxii.  14,  'A  deep  pit  for  the  mouth  of  strange 
words  (immoral  talk).' "  Eav  Nachman  bar  Yitzchak  says, 
"  The  same  punishment  wTill  be  inflicted  on  him  who 
listens  to  it  and  is  silent;  for  it  is  said  (Prov.  xxii.  14), 
'  And  he  that  is  abhorred  of  the  Lord  shall  fall  therein.' " 

Shabbath,  fol.  33,  col.  1. 
Note. — So  then  a  little  perversion  of  Scripture  for  a  good 
purpose  is  no  harm,  for  the  end  sanctifies  the  means  ! 

153.  (Jer.  xxiii.  29),  "Like  a  hammer  that  breaketh 
the  rock  in  pieces,"  so  is  every  utterance  which  proceedeth 
from  the  mouth  of  God,  divided  though  it  be  into  seventy 
languages.  Ibid.,  fol.  2>2>,  col.  2. 


CHAPTER  XL  197 

154.  Eabbi  Eliezer  asked,  "  Eor  whose  benefit  were 
those  seventy  bullocks  intended?"  See  Num.  xxix.  12- 
36.  For  the  seventy  nations  into  which  the  Gentile  world 
is  divided ;  and  Eashi  plainly  asserts  that  the  seventy  bul- 
locks were  intended  to  atone  for  them,  that  rain  might 
descend  all  over  the  world,  for  on  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles 
judgment  is  given  respecting  rain,  &c.  Woe  to  the  Gentile 
nations  for  their  loss,  and  they  know  not  what  they  have 
lost !  for  as  long  as  the  Temple  existed,  the  altar  made 
atonement  for  them ;  but  now,  who  is  to  atone  for  them  ? 

Succah,  fol.  55,  col.  2. 

155.  Choni,  the  Maagol,  once  saw  in  his  travels  an 
old  man  planting  a  carob-tree,  and  he  asked  him  when 
he  thought  the  tree  would  bear  fruit.  "After  seventy 
years,"  was  the  reply.  "  What ! "  said  Choni,  "  dost  thou 
expect  to  live  seventy  years  and  eat  the  fruit  of  thy 
labour ? "  "I  did  not  find  the  world  desolate  when  I 
entered  it,"  said  the  old  man ;  "  and  as  my  fathers  planted 
for  me  before  I  was  born,  so  I  plant  for  those  that  will 
come  after  me."  Taanith,  fol.  23,  col.  1. 

156.  Mordecai  was  one  of  those  who  sat  in  the  hall  of 
the  Temple,  and  he  knew  seventy  languages. 

Megillah,  foL  13,  col.  2. 

157.  The  Eabbis  have  taught: — During  a  prosperous 
year  in  Israel,  a  place  that  is  sown  with  a  single  measure 
of  seed  produces  five  myriad  cors  of  grain.  In  the  tilled 
districts  of  Zoan,  one  measure  of  seed  produces  seventy 
cors ;  for  we  are  told  that  Eabbi  Meir  said  he  himself  had 
witnessed  in  the  vale  of  Bethshean  an  instance  of  one 
measure  of  seed  producing  seventy  cors.  And  there  is 
no  better  land  anywhere  than  the  land  of  Egypt ;  for  it 
is  said,  "  As  the  garden  of  the  Lord,  like  the  land  of  Egypt." 
And  there  is  no  better  land  in  all  Egypt  than  Zoan,  where 
several  kings  have  resided ;  for  it  is  written  (Isa.  xxx.  4), 
"  His  princes  were  in  Zoan."     In  all  Israel  there  was  no 


198  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

more  unsuitable  soil  than  Hebron,  for  it  was  a  buryiug- 
place,  and  yet  Hebron  was  seven  times  more  prolific  than 
Zoan;  for  it  is  written  (Num.  xiii.  22),  "Now  Hebron 
n/1223  D^ttf  Mttf,  was  built  seven  years  before  Zoan  in 
Egypt."  What  does  nj"UU  mean  ?  Literally  it  means 
built ;  but  is  it  likely  that  a  man  would  build  a  house 
for  his  youngest  son  before  he  built  one  for  his  eldest  ? 
For  it  is  said  (Gen.  x.  6),  "  And  the  sons  of  Ham,  Cush, 
Mizraim  (that  is,  Egypt),  Phut,  and  Canaan"  (that  is, 
Israel).  It  must,  therefore,  mean  that  it  was  seven  times 
more  prolific  (the  verb  meaning  both  to  build  and  to 
produce)  than  Zoan.  This  is  only  in  the  unsuitable  soil 
of  the  land  of  Israel,  Hebron,  but  in  the  suitable  soil  (the 
increase)  is  five  hundred  times.  All  this  applies  to  a  year 
of  average  return,  but  in  one  of  special  prosperity,  it  is 
written  (Gen.  xxvi.  12),  "  Then  Isaac  sowed  in  that  land, 
and  received  in  the  same  year  an  hundredfold,  and  the 
Lord  blessed  him."  (The  word  D^Jltf  =  years,  is  conve- 
niently overlooked  in  working  out  the  argument.) 

Kethuboth,  foL  112,  col.  1. 

158.  The  astrologers  in  Egypt  said  to  Pharaoh,  "What ! 
shall  a  slave  whose  master  bought  him  for  twenty  pieces 
of  silver  rule  over  us  ? "  Pharaoh  replied,  "  But  I  find 
him  endowed  with  kingly  qualities."  "  If  that  is  the  case," 
they  answered,  "  he  must  know  seventy  languages."  Then 
came  the  Angel  Gabriel  and  taught  him  seventy  languages. 

Soteh,  fol.  36,  col.  2. 

159.  When  the  leviathan  makes  the  deep  boil,  the  sea 
does  not  recover  its  calm  for  seventy  years ;  for  it  is 
said  (Job  xli.  32),  "  One  would  think  the  deep  to  be 
hoary,"  and  we  cannot  take  the  word  "  hoary "  to  imply 
a  term  of  less  than  seventy  years. 

Bava  Bathra,  fol.  75,  col.  1. 
Note. — See  Avoth,  chap.  5,  where  it  is  said,  "at  seventy  he 
is  grey,"  i.e.,  hoary. 

160.  Abba   Chalepha   Keruya  once  remarked   to  Eav 


CHAPTER  XL  199 

Cheyah  bar  Abba,  "  The  sum  total  of  Jacob's  family  thou 
iindest  reckoned  at  seventy,  whereas  the  numbers  added  up 
make  only  sixty-nine.  How  is  that  ?  "  Eav  Cheyah  made 
answer  that  the  particle  J"ltf,  in  verse  15,  implies  that 
Dinah  must  have  been  one  of  twin-sisters.  "  But,"  ob- 
jected the  other,  "  the  same  particle  occurs  also  in  connec- 
tion with  Benjamin,  to  say  nothing  of  other  instances." 
"  Alas  ! "  said  Eav  Cheyah,  "  I  am  possessed  of  a  secret; 
worth  knowing,  and  thou  art  trying  to  worm  it  out  of 
me."  Then  interposed  Eav  Chama  bar  Chanena,  "  The 
number  may  be  made  up  by  reckoning  Jochebed  in,  for  of 
her  it  is  said  (Num.  xxvi.  59)  '  that  her  mother  bare  her 
to  Levi  in  Egypt ; '  her  birth  took  place  in  Egypt,  though 
she  was  conceived  on  the  journey." 

Bava  Bathra,  fol.  123,  cols.  1,  2. 

161.  Eav  Yehudah  says  in  the  name  of  Shemuel : — There 
is  yet  another  festival  in  Eome,  which  is  observed  only 
once  in  seventy  years,  and  this  is  the  manner  of  its  cele- 
bration. They  take  an  able-bodied  man,  without  physical 
defect,  and  cause  him  to  ride  upon  the  back  of  a  lame  one. 
They  dress  up  the  former  in  the  garments  of  Adam  (sucli 
as  God  made  for  him  in  Paradise),  and  cover  his  face  with 
the  skin  of  the  face  of  Eabbi  Ishmael,  the  high  priest, 
and  adorn  his  neck  with  a  precious  stone.  They  illu- 
minate the  streets,  and  then  lead  the  two  men  through 
the  city,  a  herald  proclaiming  before  them,  "  The  account  of 
our  Lord  was  false ;  it  is  the  brother  of  our  Lord  that  is 
the  deceiver !  He  that  sees  this  festival  sees  it,  and  he 
that  does  not  see  it  now  will  never  see  it.  What  advan- 
tage to  the  deceiver  is  his  deception,  and  to  the  crafty 
his  craftiness  ? "  The  proclamation  finishes  up  thus — "  Woe 
to  this  one  when  the  other  shall  rise  again ! " 

Avodali  Z arah,  fol.  11,  coL  2. 

Note. — The  Targum  Yarushalini  informs  us  that  the  Lord 
God  wrought  for  Adam  and  his  wife  robes  of  honour 
from  the  cast-off  skin  of  the  serpent.  We  learn  else- 
where that  Nimrod  came  into  possession  of  Adam's  coat 


200  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

through  Ham,  who  stole  it  from  Koah  while  in  the  Ark. 
The  glib  tongue  of  tradition  also  tells  how  Esau  slew 
Ximrod  and  appropriated  the  garment,  and  wore  it  for 
luck  when  hunting ;  but  that  on  the  day  when  he  went 
to  seek  venison  at  the  request  of  his  dying  parent,  in  his 
hurry  he  forgot  the  embroidered  robe  of  Adam,  and  had 
bad  luck  in  consequence.  Then  Jacob  borrowed  the 
left-off  garment,  and  kept  it  for  himself. — The  mask 
alluded  to  is  accounted  for  thus  : — The  daughter  of  a 
Roman  emperor  took  a  fancy  to  have  the  skin  of  Rabbi 
Ishmael's  face,  and  it  accordingly,  when  he  was  dead, 
was  taken  off,  and  so  embalmed  as  to  retain  its  features, 
expression,  and  complexion,  and  the  Jews  say  that  it  is 
still  preserved  among  the  relics  at  Rome.  The  able- 
bodied  man  in  this  prophetic  mystery-play  represents 
Esau,  and  the  limping  man  is  intended  for  Jacob.  Rome 
(or  Esau)  is  uppermost  in  that  ceremonial,  but  the  time 
is  coming  when  Jacob  will  rise  and  invest  himself  in 
the  blessings  he  so  craftily  obtained  the  reversion  of. 

162.  Rabbi  Yochanan  said: — Xone  were  elected  to  sit 
in  the  High  Council  of  the  Sanhedrin  except  men  of 
stature,  of  wisdom,  of  imposing  appearance,  and  of  mature 
age ;  men  who  knew  witchcraft  and  seventy  languages,  in 
order  that  the  High  Council  of  the  Sanhedrin  should  have 
no  need  of  an  interpreter.  Sanhedrin,  fol.  17,  col.  1. 

163.  Yehudah  and  Chiskiyah,  the  sons  of  Rabbi  Cheyah, 
once  sat  down  to  a  meal  before  Rabbi  (the  Holy)  without 
speaking  a  word.  "  Give  the  boys  some  wine,"  said  Rabbi, 
"  that  they  may  have  boldness  to  speak."  When  they 
had  partaken  of  the  wine,  they  said,  "  The  son  of  David 
will  not  come  until  the  two  patriarchal  houses  of  Israel 
are  no  more,"  that  is,  the  head  of  the  Captivity  in  Babylon 
and  the  Prince  in  the  land  of  Israel ;  for  it  is  written  (Isa. 
viii.  14),  "And  he  shall  be  for  a  sanctuary,  and  for  a  stone 
of  stumbling  and  a  rock  of  offence  to  both  the  houses  of 
Israel."  "  Why,  children,"  said  Rabbi  (who  was  patriarch 
of  Tiberias),  "you  are  thrusting  thorns  into  my  eyes." 
Rabbi  Cheyah  said,  "  Do  not  be  offended  at  them.      Wine, 


CHAPTER  XL  201 

]",  is  given  with  seventy,  and  so  is  a  secret,  "TO  (the  nume- 
rical value  of  each  of  these  words  is  seventy) ;  when  wine 
enters  the  secret  oozes  out."         Sanhedrin,  foL  38,  col.  1. 

164.  A  certain  star  appears  once  in  seventy  years  and 
deceives  the  sailors  (who  guide  their  vessels  by  the  posi- 
tion of  the  heavenly  bodies;  and  this  star  appears  some- 
times in  the  north  and  sometimes  in  the  south. — Rashi) 

Horayoth,  fol.  10,  col.  1. 

165.  As  eating  olive  berries  causes  one  to  forget  things 
that  he  has  known  for  seventy  years,  so  olive  oil  brings 
back  to  the  memory  things  which  happened  seventy  years 
before.  Ibid.,  fol.  13,  col.  2. 

166.  The  outside  of  the  shell  of  the  purple  mollusc  re- 
sembles the  sea  in  colour ;  its  bodily  conformation  is  like 
that  of  a  fish ;  it  rises  once  in  seventy  years ;  its  blood  is 
used  to  dye  wool  purple,  and  therefore  this  colour  is  dear. 

Menachoth,  fol.  44,  coL  1. 

167.  The  bearing-time  of  the  flat-headed  otter  lasts 
seventy  years ;  a  parallel  may  be  found  in  the  carob-tree, 
from  the  planting  to  the  ripening  of  the  pods  of  which  is 
seventy  years.  Bechoroth,  fol.  8,  col.  1. 

168.  The  Sanhedrin  consisted  of  seventy-one  members. 
It  is  recorded  that  Eabbi  Yossi  said,  "Seldom  was 
there  contention  in  Israel,  but  the  judicial  court  of 
seventy-one  sat  in  the  Lishkath-hagazith  (JTOn  DD^b, 
i.e.,  Paved  Hall),  and  two  (ordinary)  courts  of  justice 
consisting  of  twenty-three,  one  of  which  sat  at  the  entrance 
of  the  Temple-Mount,  and  the  other  at  the  entrance  of 
the  ante-court;  and  also  (provincial)  courts  of  justice, 
also  comprising  twenty-three  members,  which  held  their 
sessions  in  all  the  cities  of  Israel.  When  an  Israelite  had 
a  question  to  propose,  he  asked  it  first  of  the  court  in  his 
own  city.     If  they  understood  the  case,  they  settled  the 


200  A    TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

through  Ham,  who  stole  it  from  Noah  while  in  the  Ark. 
The  glib  tongue  of  tradition  also  tells  how  Esau  slew 
Nimrod  and  appropriated  the  garment,  and  wore  it  for 
hick  wheu  hunting;  but  that  on  the  day  when  he  wenl 
to  seek  venison  at  the  request  of  his  dying  parent,  in  his 
hurry  he  forgot  the  embroidered  robe  of  Adam,  and  had 
had  luck  in  consequence.  Thru  Jacob  borrowed  the 
left-off  garment,  and  kept  it  for  himself.— The  mask 
alluded  to  is  accounted  for  thus: — The  daughter  of  a 
Roman  emperor  took  a  fancy  to  have  the  skin  of  Rabl  i 
[shmaeTs  lace,  and  it  accordingly,  when  he  was  di-.ul, 
was  taken  off,  and  so  embalmed  as  to  retain  its  features, 
expression,  and  complexion,  and  the  dews  say  that  it  is 
still  preserved  among  the  relics  at  Rome.  The  able- 
bodied  man  in  this  prophetic  mystery-play  represents 
Esau,  and  the  Limping  man  is  intended  for  Jacob.  Rome 
(or  Esau)  is  uppermost  in  that  ceremonial,  hnt  the  time 
is  coming  when  Jacob  will  rise  and  invest  himself  in 
the  blessings  he  bo  craftily  obtained  the  reversion  oi 

162.  Rabbi  Yochanan  said : — None  were  elected  to  sit 
in  the  High   Council  of  the  Sanhedrin  except    men  of 

stature,  of  wisdom,  of  imposing  appearance,  and  of  mature 
age;  men  who  knew  witchcraft  and  seventy  languages,  in 

older  that  the  High  Council  of  the  Sanhedrin  should  have 
no  need  of  an  interpreter.  Sanhedrin,  foL  17,  col.  i. 

163.  Yelmdah  and  Chiskiyah,  the  sons  of  Rabbi  Cheyah, 
once  sat  down  to  a  meal  before  Rabbi  (the  Holy)  without 
speaking  a  word.  "  Give  the  boys  some  wine,"  said  Rabbi, 
"that  they  may  have  boldness  to  speak."  When  they 
had  partaken  of  the  wine,  they  said,  "  The  son  of  David 
will  not  come  until  the  two  patriarchal  houses  of  Israel 
are  no  more,"  that  is,  the  head  of  the  Captivity  in  Babylon 
and  the  Prince  in  the  land  of  Israel ;  for  it  is  written  (Isa. 
viii.  14),  >(  And  he  shall  be  for  a  sanctuary,  and  for  a  stone 
of  stumbling  and  a  rock  of  offence  to  both  the  houses  of 
Israel."  u  Why,  children,"  said  Eabbi  (who  was  patriarch 
of  Tiberias),  "you  are  thrusting  thorns  into  my  eyes." 
Rabbi  Cheyah  said,  ':  Do  not  be  offended  at  them.      Wine, 


CHAPTER  XI.  20 1 

p,  is  given  with  seventy,  and  bo  is  a  secret,  TID  (the  nume- 
rical value  of  each  of  these  words  is  seventy) ;  when  wine 

enters  the  secret  oozes  out."         Sanhedrin,  foL  3S,  col.  1. 

164.  A  certain  star  appears  once  in  seventy  years  and 
deceives  the  sailors  (who  guide  their  vessels  by  the  posi- 
tion of  the  heavenly  bodies;  and  this  star  appears  some- 
times in  the  north  ami  sometimes  in  the  south. — Bos) 

Horayoth,  foL  10,  col.  1. 

165.  As  e  iting  olive  berries  causes  one  to  forget  things 

that  he  has  known  for  seventy  years,  so  olive  oil  hrings 
back  to  the  memory  thin-.-  which  happened  seventy  years 
•  re.  lbiJ.,  I  A.  13,  coL  2. 

166.  The  outside  of  the  shell  <*f  the  purple  mollusc  re- 
sembles  tin1  sea  in  colour;  its  bodily  conformation  is  like 
that  of  a  fish;  i'  1  ace  in  seventy  years ;  its  blood  is 
used  to  dye  wool  purple,  and  therefore  this  colour  is  dear. 

M>  nachoth,  foL  44,  coL  1. 

167.  The   bearing-time  of  the   flat-headed  otter  lasts 

:   a   parallel    may  ho  found    in    the  carol.-- 

from  the  planting  t < j  the  ripening  of  the  pods  of  which  i> 
v  years.  /;  chorothy  fol  8,  col.  1. 

168.  The  Sanhedrin  consisted  of  seventy-one  members. 

It  is  recorded  that  Rabbi  Xbssi  said.  '-Seldom  was 
there  contention  in  Israel,  hut  the  judicial  court  of 
•  Uy-one  sat  in  the  Eishkath-hagazith  (JYUn  D3vb, 
/.<-.,  Paved  Hall),  ami  two  (ordinary)  courts  of  justice 
consisting  of  twenty-three, one  of  which  sat  at  the  entrance 
of  the  Temple-Mount,  and  the  other  at  the  entrance  of 
the  ante-court;  and  also  (provincial)  courts  of  justice, 
also  comprising  twenty-three  members,  which  held  their 
sessions  in  all  the  cities  of  Israel.  When  an  Israelite  had 
a  question  to  propose,  lie  asked  it  first  of  the  court  in  his 
own  city.     If  they  understood  the  case,  they  settled  the 


:o4  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

receivers  of  bribes  may  well  look  bo  their  soula  It'  I 
feel  partial  who  have  not  even  taken  a  bribe  of  what 
was  my  own,  how  perverted  must,  the  disposition  of 
those  become  who  receive  bribes  at  the  hands  of 
other.-!"  (Kethuboth,  iol  105,  coL  1.) 
1  The  judge  who  takes  ;i  bribe  only  provokes  wrath, 
instead  of  allaying  i'  ;  for  is  il  L(Prov.  \\i.  1  p. 

•A   reward    in    the   bosom  bringeth  Btrone  wrath"! 
( Bava  Bathra,  fol.  9,  coL  2.) 

(</. )  Lei   judges    know  with  whom  and  before  whom  they 

judge,  and  who  it  i-  that  will  <>rn-  day  counl  <»t" 

their  j  idgn  I    1'     Iwxii.  1  >.  "  ( !<>«! 

andeth  in  the  1  I  •    ..  and  judgeth  with  the 

mhedrin,  iol.  6.  coL  2.) 

(A.)  A  judge  who  does  not  judge  justly  causeth   the  Sh.-- 
chinah  for  it  i-  said  1 1'-.  mi.  5 1, 

'•  For  '  -i  «'f*  the  pool .  I  \ bing  of  the 

needy,  now  will  I  depart,  saith  the  Lord.''     (Ibid.,  fol. 

I    )  The  jud  I  ever  regard  himself  as  if  he  had  a 

sword  laid  upon  his  thigh,  and  ('<  yawning 

near  him  ;  on's    Song,  iii  7. 

told  the  bed  of  Solomon  (the  jud  .t  of(  rod  1, 

thi  .nt  in. 'ii  are  about  it,  of  the  valiant  of 

L    They  all  hold  swords,  being  expert  in  war  (with 

injii8tic  ry  one  ha  .  his  thigh,  for 

ir  of  tin-  night  "  (the  conf  ision  that      ould  follow;. 

I  )'•         Ih,  fol.  109,  coL  2  ;  Sanhedrin,  fol.  7.  coL  r.) 

(j.)  Seven  have,  in  the  popular  regard,  no  portion  in  the 

world  ■  ber,         best  of 

d<  his  native  place,  a  conjuror,  a  1 

ler,  and  a  butcher.      (Avoth  dl  Rabbi 
Nathan,  chap.  36.) 

.)  An  ignoramus  is  ineligible  i'<>r  a  witm         (See  Chap. 
v,..  No.  ; 
(h.)  The  following  are  ineligible  as  wil  :'  the  appear 

ance  of  the  new  moon  : — Dice-playi  rs, 
fliers,  sellers  of  the  j>rodu<-"  of  the  year  of  release,  and 
.-lav.--.     This  is  tie-  general  rule  ;  in  any  case  in  which 
women  are  inadmissible  as  witness<  lso  are  in- 

admissible here.     (7,  inah,  fol.  22,  coL  1.) 

Two  disciples  of  the  wise  happened  to  be  shipwrecked 
with  Rabbi  Yos^i  hen  Simaii,  and  the  Rabbi  allowed 


CHAPTER  XI.  205 

tony  of  women, 
timony  of  a  hondred  women  is  only  equal 
to  the  evidence  ol  one  man  (and  that  only  in  a  ca 
the  foregoing;  it  is  inadmissible  in 
imothj  foL  1 15,  col.  1.) 
(<i)  ••  v.  c   is   not    instructed   in   S  .    in   the 

tia,  and  in  good  mann<  Rabbi  5T<    hanan, 

"He  w\ 
in  t]  .     •  be   R  ib  is,  "  is  life  '  and 

Borne  add  that  Buch  a  <  is  a  w  itne 

I  .   i  bar  A'.  i [alachah  is  us    ■• 

',  fol.  40,  coL 
I ..  ■  ■    when  ;i  witn  ■  rid,  his  testimony 

invalidated     (Ibid.,  fol.  58,  col,  2.) 
(/.)  Testimony  that  is  invalidated  in  part  is  invalidal 
entirely.     (/  ,  1.) 

Let  witi 

hear   testimony,  and  who  will  i  them  to 

aeco  int  ;  f<  I  >eut.  xix.  1 7  .  ••  Both  the  men 

whom  the  controversy  i-  and  before 

the  Lord."     (San  \edr\n\  foL  '>.  coL  2. 1 
(/<.)  Th  another  thin  rk,  hut  tl 

who  :  ity  from  a  ( lentile.     /.'  1    1  at  I  J' 

dified  from  being  \\  it  1  When  is 

this  1  ibliclyj  but  if  in  . 

''.,  fol  26,  col.  2.  ) 
('. )  I [e  who  unreliable  as 

a  witness  in  any  1  I  at  law;  hut  if  he  has  per- 

jured himself  in  a  civil  ca-'-  only,  his  evidence  maj 

1  upon  1:.  life  and  d  concerned. 

(I bid.,  foL  27,  coL  1. ) 
(/.)  He  who  disavows  a  loan  is  fit  to  be  a  witness;  bul  be 

who  disowns  a   deposit   in   trust    is    unlit.       {Sin  ninth, 
foL  40,  <•"!.  2. ) 
(/:.)  Simncij  ben  Sheta*  1  taurine  the  wit- 

.ict'ul  with  thy  woi  from  them  they 

lie."     (Avothj  chap.  1.) 

Criminals  am.  Criminal  Punishments. 

Fawr  kinds  of  capital  punishment  ^vere  decreed  by 
the  court  of  justice: — Stoning,  burning,  b-heading,  and 
strangling :  or  1:  ibbi  Shimon  arranges  them — Burning, 
stoning,  strangling,  and  beheading.   As  soon  as  the  sentence 

of   death   is   pronounced,  the    criminal   is   led   out  to   be 


206  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY, 

stoned,  the  stoning-place  being  at  a  distance  from  the  court 
of  justin-  for  it  is  said  (Lev.  xxiv.  \\  ,  "Bring forth  him 
that  hath  cursed  without  the  camp."  Then  one  official 
Btands  at  the  dour  of  the  court  of  justice  with  a  flag  in 
his  hand,  and  another  La  stationed  on  horseback  at  such 
a  distance  as  to  be  able  to  Bee  the  former.  If.  meanwhile, 
one  comes  and  declares  before  the  court,  M  I  have  some- 
thing further  to  urge  in  defence  of  the  prisoner,"  the  man 
at  the  dooT  waves  Lis  flag,  and  the  mounted  official  rides 
forward  and  Btops  the  j  i  Even  it"  the  criminal 

himself  says,  *  I  have  yet  something  to  plead  in  my  de- 
fence," ]  be  brought  I  en  four  or  five  times 
over,  provided  there  is  something  of  importance  in  his 
deposition.  If  the  evidence  is  exculpatory,  he  is  dis- 
charged :  if  not,  he  is  led  out  to  b  \  stoned.  As  he  proc 
to  the  place  of  execution,  a  public  criei  him 
and   proclaims,  "So-and-so,   the   bod  of   So-and 

aed  because  he  has  committed  Buch-and-such 
a  crime,  and  So-and-so  and  So-and-so  are  the  witni 
I.  '  him  who  knows  of  anything  thai  pleads  in  his  defence 
•  forward  and  state  i-."  W  leu  about  ten  yards 
from  the  stoning-place,  the  condemned  is  called  upon  to 
confess  his  guilt.     (All  about  t  i  be  •  I  were  ui 

-  by  making  ion  every  criminal  made 

in   th"  world  to  come ;  we  find 

it  in  th  :    Achan,  when   Joshua  said   unto   him 

(Josh.  vii.   i9),"My  Bon,  give,  I  pray  thee,  glory  to  the 

I  God  of  [srael,  and  make  confession  unto  him," 
■And  Achan  answered  Joshua,  and  said,  Indeed  I  have 
sinned."  But  where  are  we  taught  that  his  confession 
was  his  atonement  \  Where  it  is  said  (ibid.,  v.  25), 
•And  Joshua  Baid,  Why  hast  thou  troubled  us?  The 
Lord  shall  trouble  thee  this  day;"  as  if  to  say,  " This 
day  thou  shalt  be  troubled,  but  in  the  world  to  come  thou 
shalt  not  be  troubled.")  About  four  yards  from  the 
aing-place  they  stripped  off  the  criminal's  clothes, 
covering  a  male  in  front,  but  a  female  both  before  and 


CHAPTER  XL  207 

behind.    These  are  the  words       B         Eehudah;  but  the 

3  Bay  a  man  was  Btoned  naked,  but  not  a  female. 

1       3toning-place  wi is  twice  the  height  of  a  man,  and 

this  the  criminal         1  1  1  then 

pushed  him  from  behind,  tumbled  down  upon  his 

II  •  waa  then  turned  over  npon  his  back:  if  he 

was  kill'  but  it'  not  quite 

>ond  wit :        took  a  hea^  \\  it 

upon  hi  and  if  this  did  not  pro\  tual,  then 

the  ipleted  by  all  pn  31  nt  joining  in  the 

act;  as  it   is   Baid    (Deut  xvii.  7),   "The  hands  of  the 

witn  all  be  first  apon  him  to  put  him  to  death, 

and  afterwards  the  hands  of  all  the  people." 

■•  ( 'rimiiials   who   wei  •  afterwi 

hanged."    These  arc  the  wot  I    of  Rabbi]  ;  but  the 

ty  none  were  hanged   hut   the  blasphemer   and 
They  hangi  d  a  man  with  I  to- 

ls  the  1 pie,  but   a  woman  with  1 

These  ai  I '  ibbi    Eliezei  ; 

but   I  y  a  man  is  hanged,  but   no  woman  is 

hanged.  .  .  .  How   then   did   they  hang   the   man  I     A 

was  firmly  fixed  into  the  ground,  from  which  an  arm 

of  v.  tied  the  hands  of  th 

pended  it.     Rabbi  Yossi  says,  "The 

beam  simply  lean:  against  a  wall,  ami  bo  they  hung  up 

tli."  body  as   butchers  do  an  ox  or  a  sheep,  ami  it  was 

trwards  taken  down  again,  for  if  it  remained  ov<  c 

night  a  prohibition  of  the  law  would  have  been  thereby 

trail  I       it  is  said  (I)rut.xxi.  23),  "His  body 

shall  not  remain  all  night  upon  the  tree,  but  thou  shalt 

in  any  wi86  bury  him  that  (lay;  for  he   that  is  hanged  is 

accursed  of  God,"  &c.     That  is  to  say,  people  would  ask 

why  this  one  was  hangejl ;  and  as  the  reply  would  needs 

h.\  ••  Because  he  blasphemed  God,"  this  would  lead  to  the 

of  God's  name  under  circumstances  in  which  it  would 

be  blasphemed. 

The  sentence  of  hurnin_r  was  carried  out  thus : — They 


208  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

fixed  the  criminal  up  to  his  knees  (?3T"i)  in  manure,  and 
a  hard  cloth  wrapped  in  a  softer  material  was  passed 
round  his  neck.  ( >ne  of  the  witnesses,  taking  hold  of  this, 
pulled  it  one  way,  and  another  the  other,  until  the 
criminal  was  to  open  his  mouth;  then  a  wick  of 

lead  ("ON  ;Zr)  was  lighted  and  thrust  into  his  mouth,  the 
molten  Lead  running  down  into  his  bowels  and  burning 
them.  Rabbi  Yehudah  asks,  "  It"  the  criminal  should  die 
in  their  hands,  how  would  that  fulfil  the  commandment 
respecting  burning  ? "  they  forcibly  open  his  mouth 

with  a  pair  of  tongs  and  the  lighted  wire  (the  molten 
lead)  is  thrust  into  his  mouth,  so  that  it  goes  down  into 
his  bowels  and  burns  his  inside. 

The  I  thus: — They 

sometimes  cut  off  the  criminal's  head  with  a  Bword,  as  is 
done  among  the  Romans.  But  Rabbi  Yehudah  says  this 
was  degrading,  and  in  some  cases  they  placed  the  culprit's 
head  upon  the  block  and  struck  it  off  with  an  axe 
Sum.-  one  remarked  to  him  that  such  a  death  is  more 
rading  still. 

The  strangling  i  out  thus: — 

They  fixed  the  criminal  up  to  his  knees  in  manure,  and 
having  twined  a  ha]  within  a  ae  round  his 

neck  Ued  one  way  and  the  other  pulled  in 

an  o]  till  life  was  extir  b. 

S  nhedrin,  fol.  42,  coL  2  ;  foL  40,  col.  2  ;  fol.  52,  cols.  1.  2. 

Note.     ("•>  The  above,  which  has  hern   translated   almost 

literally  from  the  Talmud,  may  Berve  to  remove  many 

misconceptions  now  current  as  to  the  modes  of  capital 

punishment  that  obtained  in  Jewry. 

(/-.)  In  further  illustration  of  this  topic,  we  will 
append  sonic  of  the  legal  decisions  thai  are  recorded  in 
the  Talmud,  authenticating  each  by  reference  to  folio 
and  column.  Examples  might  be  multiplied  by  the 
»re,  but  a  sufficient  number  will  be  <{uoted  to  give 
a  fair  idea  of  Rabbinic  jurisprudence. 

If  one  who  intends  to  kill  a  beast  (accidentally) 
kill  a  man;  or  if,  purposing  to  kill  a  Gentile,  he  slay 
an  Israelite;  or  if  he  destroy  a  fcetw  in  mistake  for  an 


CHAPTER  XL  209 

embryOi  he  shall  be  free;    _,,j-  .      ..  Dot  guilty.     (San- 
Tiedrin,  foL  ;-s,  00L  2.  | 

(</.)  lit-  who  lias  been  flogged  and  exposes  himself 
again  to  the   Bame    punishment   is  to  1m-   shut    up  in 

a    narrow  cell,  in  which    la'    Can    only  stand  Upright,  ami 

fed  with  barley  till  la-  burst     (Ibid.,  foL  Si,  col  2.) 

immits  murder,  and  there  is  not  sufficient 
legal  evidence  (DHJD  n**'J'.  literally,  without  witm 

to  be  shut   up  in  a  narrow  cell  aial  fed  with  "the 
Lyersity  and  the  water  of ;  .  xxx. 

20).     They  give  him  this  dirt  till  his  bowels  shrink,  ami 
then  la-  is  fed  with  barley  till  (as  it  Bwells  in  his  1 
his  intestines  burst.     (Ibid. ) 

A  woman  who  is  doomed,  being  enceinte,  to  Buffer 
tne  penalty  of  the  law,  is  first  beaten,  ~i;:r  n*3 
pnn,  about  the  womb,  lest  a  mi8ha]  ition. 

■/'/',  fol  7,  00L  1. 1 
(-/. )   If  a  woman  who  |  |  the  vow  of  ,,  \ 

drink  wine  or  defile  herself  by  contact  with  a  dead  body 
Num.  vi.  2-0).  she  is  to  undergo  the  punish] 
\.  2;,  coL  1. ) 
(h.  1    1        I:  •      h  that  when  the  woman  1. 

be  flogged,  the  man  has  only  to  bring  a  sacrifice;  ami 
that   if  she  i-  not   to  b  .  the  man  i  ruired 

to  bring  a  sacrifice.     (This  is  in  referei       to  L  v.  xix. 
20,  2  1. 1     1  K  rithoth,  fol.  11,  coL   r.) 

(/.)   I;  ■.    Fehudah  Bays,  "He  that  eats  a  n;v;3  (an 
aquatic  insect,  the  Bwallowing  of  which  while  drinking 
would  involve  no  penalty  whatei   1  —  / 
forty  Btri]  (the   penalty  for   transgressing 

pts),  for  it  belongs  to  the  class  of  • 
in-  things  that  do  creep  upon  tJu  earth*  (Lev.  xi.  29)." 
Kav  Yehudah  ona  practical  exemplification  of 

this  ruling  of  his. 

.  "He  that  eats  a  KJVB1B  (an  animalcule 

found  in  stagnant  wat<  r),  forty  Btripes 

save  one      For  eating  an  ant  this  penalty  is  five  times 

.md,  and  for  eating  a  wasp  it  is  inflicted  six  times." 

(Maccoth,  fol.  16,  col  2.) 

(/.)   When  one  is  ordered  to  construct  a  booth,  or  to 
prepare  a  palm-branch  for  the  Feast  of  Tabemacl 
to  make  fringes,  and  dors  not  do  bo,  he  is  to  Ik-  flogged, 
U7B3  KYD&iy,  »&,  till  his  soul  comes  out  of  him.    (Chtd- 

l/'n,  fo].   132,  <a»l.  2.  1 

(/:.)  Unci-  on  a  time,  as  the   Rabbis  relate,  the  wicked 

o 


2io  A    TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

Government  Bent  two  officers  (rNBIHTD)  to  the  wise  nien 
:  [srael,  Baying,  "Teach  as  your  law."  This  being  put 
into  their  hands,  three  times  over  they  perused  it  ;  and 
when  aboul  to  Leave  they  returned  it,  remarking,  M  We 
have  carefully  studied  your  law,  and  find  it  equitable 
in  one  particular.  You  Bay  :  When  the  02  of  an 
[sraelite  gores  to  death  the  ox  of  an  alien,  its  owner  is 
not  Liable  to  make  compensation ;  but  if  the  ox  of  an 
alien  gore  to  death  bhe  ox  of  an  [sraelite,  it-  owner  must 
make  full  amends  for  the  Loss  of  the  animal  ;  whether 
it  be  tin-  first  or  second  time  that  the  ox  has  bo  killed 
another  (in  which  case  an  [sraelite  would  have  to  \.\\ 

Lother  [sraelite  only  half  the  vain.'  of  the  1 
the  third  time  (when  he  would  be  fined  to  the  full  extent 
of  his  neighbour's  1"—).  Either  *  neighbour '  (in  Kxod. 
wi.  35,  for  Buch  the  word  signifies  in  the  original  Hebrew  . 
though  the  Authorised  Version  has  another)  is  taken 
tly  as  referring  to  an  [sraelite  only,  and  then  an 
ali«ai  should  be  exempted  as  well  ;  or  it"  the  word  '  m  igh- 
bour1  m  in  its  widest  sense,  why  should  not 

an  [si  lelite  be  bound  to  pay  ^  hen  hi 
death  the  ox  of  an  alien  .' "  M  This  legal  point,"  was  the 
answer,  "we  do  not  tell  the  Government."  As  Rashi 
rence  to  a  preceding  Ealacha,  "an  alien 
forfeits  the  right  to  his  own  property  in  favour  of  the 
Jews."     1 B    ■    Ka     t,  foL  38,  coL 

.  this  Bubj  I  adex  1 1. 

169.  Ptolemy,  the  king  (of  Egy]  I  I  >enty- 
two  eldera  of  [srael  and  lodged  them  in  &  w  nty-two  separate 
chambers,  but  did  not  tell  them  why  he  did  bo.  Then  he 
visited  each  one  in  turn  and  said,  "Write  out  for  me 
tlio  law  of  Moses  your  Rabbi."     The  Boly  One — ble 

be  Be! — went  and  counselled  the  minds  of  every  od 
them,  so  that  they  all  agreed,  and  wrote,  "  God  created  in 
the  beginning,"  &c,  M  gillah,  foL  9,  coL  1. 

Note. — The  Talmudic  Btory  of  the  origin  of  the  Septuagint 

s   in  the  main  with  the  account   of  Aristeas  and 

Josephus,  but  Philo  gives  a  different  version.     Many  of 

the    Christian    fathers    believed    it    to    be    the    work    of 
inspiration. 

170.  Abraham  was  as  tall  as  seventy-four  people;  what 


CHAPTER  XI.  211 

he  ate  and   drank  was  enough   I  nty-f&ur 

ordinary  men,  and  his  Btrength  wa 

rim,  chap.  21,9. 

171.  The  venei  ible  Hillel  had  eighty  disciples,  thirty  of 
whom  were  worthy  that  the  Shechinah  should  rest  upon 
tn,  as  it  rested  u]    d  M       •  our  Rabbi;  and  thirty  of 
them  were  worthy  •  sun  should  stand  still    for 

them),  as  it  did  for  Joshua  the  bod  of  Nun;  and  twi 
of  them  Btood  midway  in  worth.     The  greatesl  of  all  of 
them   was  Jonathan   ben    (Tzziel,   and   the   Least    of  all 

R  bbi  Xochanan  ben  Zacchai     It  is  said  of  R 
Yochanan  ben  Zacchai  that  he  did  Dot  Leave  unstudied  the 
Bible,  the  Mishna,  the  Gemara,  titrations,   the 

Legends,  the  minutias  of  the  law,  the  i  ribes, 

the  argumenl  riiori  and  from  similar  premi 

ry  of  the   chan  be  moon,  the  <  rematria,   the 

of  the  unri]  e  and  the  I 

.  ami  of  ministering  angels. 
Bava  BaihrOj  foL  [34,  coL  1. 

\J2.  A   :  iminal  is  to  1"'  hanged  with  his 

trds  the  people,  but  a  female  with  her  lace  towards 
the  gibbet.  So  e  1  Rabbi  Eliezerj  but  the  sages  say  the 
man  only  is  hanged,  not  the  woman.  Rabbi  Eliezer 
retorted, "  1  ml  not  Simeon  the  Bon  of  Shetach  hang  women 
in  Askelon?"  To  this  they  replied,  "  Be  indeed  caused 
eighty  women  to  be  hanged,  though  two  criminals  are 
to  be  condemned  in  one  day." 

hedrin,  foL  45,  coL  2. 

Notb.    -We  may  here  repeat  the  Btory  of  the  execution  of 

the  eighty    women  here  alluded  to,  as  that  is  mid  by 

Rashi  on   the  piecedin  t  the  Talmud.     Once  a 

publican,  an   Israelite  but   a   sinner,    and  a  great  and 

;  in  in  of  the  Bame  place,  having  died  on  the  same 

were  about  to  be  buried.     While  the  citizens  were 

engaivd  with  the  funeral   of   the  Latter,  the    relations 

of  the  other  crossed  their  path,  bearing  the  c  >rpso  to 

the  sepulchre.      Of  a  sudden  a  troop  of  enemies  came 

upon  the  scene  and  caused  them  all  to  take  to  flight,  one 


A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

faithful  disciple  alone  remaining  by  the  bier  of  his 
Rabbi  After  a  while  the  citizens  returned  to  inter  the 
remains  they  had  so  unceremoniously  left>  but  by  some 
mistake  they  took  the  wrong  bier  and  buried  the  publi- 
can with  honour,  in  spite  of  the  remonstrance  of  the 
disciple,  while  the  relatives  of  the  publican  buried  the 
Rabbi  ignominiously.  The  poor  disciple  fell  incon- 
solably  distressed,  and  was  anxious  to  know  for  what  Bin 
man  had  been  buried  with  contempt,  and  for 
what  merit  the  wicked  man  had  been  buried  with  such 
honour.  His  Rabbi  then  appeared  to  him  in  a  dream, 
ami  said,  "Comfort  thou  thy  heart,  and  come  I  will 
show  thee  the  honour  I  h<>ld  in  Paradise,  ami  I  will  also 
show  thee  that  man  in  Gehenna,  the  hinge  of  the  door 
of  which  even  now  creaks  in  his  ••ars.*  But  because 
n  a  time   I    list<  ued   I  I  ilk  about 

••1  did  not  check  it,  1  have  Buffered  an 
ignoble  burial,  while  the  publican  enjoyed  the  honour 
that  was  intended  for  me  ]  ace  distributed 

gratuitously  among  the  poor  of  the  city  a  banquet   he 
had  prepared  for  tb  which  the  governor 

did  not  come  to  partake."     The  disciple  having  asked 
the  Rabbi  how  Long  this  pul  merely 

1,  he  re]  I  tth  <>f  Simeon  tin-  boh  of 

Shetach,  who  is  to  take  the  publican's  place  in  Gehenna." 
"Why  "Because,  though   he  knows  there   are 

:  .1  Jewish  witch'-s  in  Askelon,  he  idly  suffers  them 
ly  their  infernal  trade  and  d  take  any 

.;  irpate  them."     <  >n  the  morrow  the  disciple  reported 
i  to  Simeon  the  son  of  Shetach,  who  at  once 
I  to  take  the  obnoxious  witches. 

II-'  i  ■  and  choosing  a 

rainy  day,  supplied  each  with  an  nt  folded 

up  an  I  away  in  an  earthen  vessel     Thus  pro- 

vided, they  were  each  at  a  given  signal  to  snatch  up  one 
of  the  eighty  witches  task  they 

would  find  of  easy  execution,  as,  except  in  contact  with 
the  earth,  these  creatures  were  powerless..  Then  Simeon 
on  of  Shetach,  leaving  his  men  in  ambush,  entered 
the  rendezvous  of  the  witches,  who,  accosting  him,  asked, 
"Who  art  thou?"  He  replied,  "  I  ama  wizard, and  am 
come  to  experiment  in  magic."  "  What  trick  have  you  to 
show  I M  they  said.     He  answered,  "  Even  though  the  day 

*  Which  were  formed  into  sockets  for  the  gates  of  hell  to  turn  in. 


CHAPTER  XL 

is  wet  I  can  produce  eighty  young  men  all  indrycl  I 
They  Bmiled  incredulously  and  Baid,  "  I-'':  us  Bee  !"  Be 
went  to  the  door,  and  at  the  Bignal  the  youug  men  took 
the  dry  clothes  "'it  of  the  jars  and  put  them  on,  then 
Btarting  from  their  ambush,  they  rushed  into  the  witches' 
den,  and  i^ing  one,  Lifted  her  up   and   carried 

her   off  as   directed.      Thus   overpowered,    they    were 
brought  before  the  avicted  of  malpractices  and 

led  forth  to  execute  a.     [B      edririy  foL  44,  coL 

173.     '  5       And  1  will  take  awaj 

from    tl.  •    <>(   thee."     It    is   taught   that 

(n^no,  M,i  hlali)  means  the  bile,  But  why  is  it  termed 
Machlah?     Because  eighty-t)  are  in  it.     Mach- 

lah   by  Gematria  equals   eighty-i  and   all   may   1"' 

avoided   by  an  early  breakfast  of  bread  and  'I  a 

water.  Bava  Kama,  foL  92,  coL  2. 

17.}.   It'  in  a  book  of  tin-  law  the  writing  LS  oblit- 
all  but  eighty-five  Letters — as,  for  instance,  in  Num.  x 
36,  "'  And  it  to  ]  ass  when  the  ark  sot  forward,"  - 

— it  may  1m-  rescued  on  the  Sabbath  from  a  iire,  but  not 
others  bathi  foL  1 16,  coL  1. 

175.  Elijah  Baid  to  Rabbi  Judah  the  brother  of  l;  •. 
Salla  the  Pious,  "The  world  will  not  last  Less  than  eighty- 
five  jubilees,  &nd  in  the  last  jubil  on  of  David  will 

hedrin,  foL  97,  col.  2. 

1 7<     T)    •     -  ingle  individual  in  [srael  who 

had  not.  ninety  Lybian  donkeys  laden  with  the  gold  and 
silver  of  Egypt.     (See  chap.  xii.  No.  jC,  inj 

Bechoroth,  hi  5,  coL  2. 

177.  (2  Sam.  xix.  35),  "Can  thy  servant  taste  what  I 
eat  or  what  I  drink?"  From  this  we  learn  that  in  the 
aged  the  sense  of  1  troyed.  .  .  .  Rav  says,  " Bar- 

fcillai  the  Gileadite  reports  falsely,  for  the  cook  at  the 
house  of  Rabbi  (the  Holy;  was  ninety-two  years  old,  and 
yet  could  judge  by  taste  of  what  was  cooking  in  the  pot." 

SJiabbath,  ful.  152,  coL  1. 


2u  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

1 7 s .  Rava  said,  "  Life,  children,  and  competency  do  not 
depend  on  one's  merit,  hut  on  hick;  for  instance,  Rabbah 
and  Rav  Chasda  were  both  righteous  Rabbis;  the  one 
prayed  for  rain  and  it  came,  and  the  other  did  so  likewise 
with  the  like  result;  yet  Rav  Chasda  lived  ninety-two 
years  and  Rabbah  only  forty.  Rav  Chasda,  mori  over,had 
sixty  weddings  in  his  family  during  his  Lifetime,  whi  i 
Rabbah  had  sixty  serious  illnesses  in  his  during  the  short 
period  of  his  Life.  At  the  house  of  the  former  even  the 
iVv^>  refused  to  eat  bread  made  of  the  finest  wheat  Hour, 
whereas  the  family  of  the  Latter  were  content  to  eat  rough 
bread  of  barley  and  could  not  always  obtain  it."     Rava 

i  added.  "  For  thl  I     :  :  i\  ed    to    Heaven, 

two  of  which  wnr  and  one  was  not  granted  unto  me.  I 
prayed  for  the  wisdom  of  Rav  Eunna  and  for  the  riches 
i  i"  Rav  I  lhasda,  and  both  these  were  granted  unto  me  ;  but 
the  humility  and  meekness  of  Rabbah,  the  son  of  Rav 
Hunna,  for  which  1  also  prayed,  v  ranted." 

.1/     /  Eaton,  foL  28,  coL  1. 

179.  The  judges  who  issued  at  Jerusalem  re- 
fed  for  salary  ninety-nine  man  m  the  contribu- 
tions of  the  chamber.                 Kethuboth,  foL  105,  col.  1. 

180.  Ninety-nine  die  from  an  evil  eye  for  one  who  dies 
in  the  usual  manner.  /;  iva  Metzia.  foL  107,  coL  2. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


TALMUDIC    NI'MI.:  NGING    PROM    '"NT.    HUNDRED      TO 

'NINE   HUNDRED   AND   NINETY-NINE '    INCLUSIVE. 

i.  The  Rabbis  have  taught  us  who  they  are  that  arc  to 
be  accounted  rich.     "Every  oi  pa  Rabbi  Meir,  "who 

enjoys  hi  "     Bui  B  ibbi  TarphoD  bi  j  j,  "  Every  one 

who  has  a  hundred  vineyards  and  a  hundred  fields,  with  a 
hundred  slaves  to  labour  in  them."  Rabbi  Akiva  pro- 
nounces him  well  off  who  has  a  wife  thai  oming  in 
all  i  S  I  [e  is  rich  who 
has  a  NDDn  JV2  not  far  from  his  tab) 

Shabbath,  foL  25,  coL  2. 

2.  A  light  for  one  is  a  light  for  a  hundred. 

Ibid,  foL  1 22,  coL  1. 

Note. — When  a  Gentile  lights  a  candle  or  a  lamp  on  the 
Sabbath-eve  for  his  own  use,  an  [sraelite  is  permitted  to 
avail  himself  of  its  light,  as  a  light  for  one  is  a  light  i^y 
a  hundred  ;  but  it  ie  unlawful  for  an  [sraelite  to  order  a 
< rentile  to  kindle  a  light  for  hi- 

v  A  hundred  Rav  Papas  and  not  one  (like)   Ravina! 
chap.  iv.  No.  28,  supra.) 

4.  A  hundred  zouzim  employed  in  commerce  will  allow 
the  merchant  meat  ami  wine  ;it  his  table  daily,  but  a  hun- 
dred zouzim  employed  in  farming  will  allow  their  owner 
only  salt  ami  vegetables.  Yevamothy  foL  63,  col.  j. 

5.  A  hunt],-"]  women  are  equal  to  only  one  witness 
compare  Deut  xvii.  6  and  xix.  15). 

Ibid.,  foL  88,  coL  2. 


216  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

6.  If  song  should  cease,  a  hundred  geese  or  a  hundred 
measures  of  wheat  might  be  offered  for  one  zouz,  and  even 
then  the  buyer  would  refuse  paying  Buch  a  sum  for  them. 

L  48,  coL  1. 
Notb.  -  Rav  in  loco  says,  "The  ear  thai  often  Listens  to  song 
shall  1"'  rooted  out"     .Mud--,  ace  irding  to  the  idea  here, 
-  tli"  price  of  provisions.     Do  away  with  music  and 
provisions  w ;  ..  ibundanl  thai  1  would  be 

considered  dear  at  a  penny.     Theatres  ami  music-halls 
are  abominations  to  orthodox  Jews,  and  the  Talmu 
sidera   tin-    voice   of   a    woman  to  be   LmmoraL 
"  ( renesis,"  p.  1  24,  No.  43. ) 

7.  When  Rabbi  Zira  1  to  the  land  of  [srael  he 
d  a  hundred  times  h  that  he  might  forget  the 
■.Ionian  Talmud  (7Wbl2  HID} 

Bava  Met  .  coL  1. 

.    -This    J  .  fchat  <>n    p.    j  \    No.    1 5,   will 

appear  not  a  Little  surprising  to  many  a  reader, 

We  must,  however,  give 
the  Talmud  greal  credil  rding  such  passages,  ami 

also  the  custodians  of  tip-  Talmud  f  c  not   having  ex 
punged  them  from  ii  -  ; 

s.  ••  Ye  shall  hoar  the  small  as  well  as  the  great"    Deut. 

i.  17  .     1;     .  1.    ...  A  lawsuit  about  a  prutah 

smallest  coin  there  >      houl  I  aed  of  as  much 

suil  of  a  hundred  manah 

n  nhedrin,  foL  8,  col.  1. 
9.  Rav  Yitzehak  asks,  "Why  was  Obadiah  accouc 
worthy  to   ho   a   pi  wers,   ho 

concoaled  a  hundred  prophets   in   a  cave;  as  it  is  said 
(1  Kings  xviii.  4),  "  When  Jezel  el  cut  off  the  prophi  I 
the  '  idiah  took  a  hundred  prophets  and  hid  them 

by  titty  iii  a  cave."  Why  by  fifties  '.  Rabbi  Kliezer  ex- 
plains,  'He  copied  the  plan  from  Jacob,  who  said,  'If 
Esau  come  to  one  company  and  smite  it,  then  the  other 
company  which  is  left  may  escape.' "  Rabbi  Abuhu  says, 
"  It  was  because  the  caves  would  not  hold  any  more." 

Ibid.,  fol.  39,  col.  2. 


CHAPTER  XII.  217 

10.  "And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things  that  God 
<li«l  test  Abraham"  (Gen.  xxii.   1).     After  what  thin 
Rabbi  Yochanan,  in  the  name  of  Rabbi  Xossi  ben  Zimra, 
replies  "Aft  of  Satan,  who  said, '  Lord  of  the 

Universe!  Thou  didst  bestow  a  Bon  upon  that  old  man 
when  he  was  a  hundred  years  of  age,  and  yet  he  spared 
not  a  single  dove  from  the  festival  to  sacrifice  to  TJ 
God  replied,  '  Did  he  not  make  this  festival  for  the  sake 
of  his  son  I  and  yet  I  know  he  would  not  to  sacri- 

fice thai  •   my  command.1    To  prove  this,  God  did 

put  Abraham  to  the  test,  Baying  onto  him,  '  Take  now  thy 
son;'  ,i  □  earthly  king  might  say  to  a  veto 

warrior  who  had  conquered  in  many  a  hard-fought  I 

at,  I  pray  thee,  this  severest  battle  of  all,  1  .-t  it 
should  lo  said  that  thy  previous  encounters  w 

hap;  ..irmishrs.'      Thus  did  tie'   Eoly  One — bl< 

1m-  }!,•! — ad  b        A   raham,  '  1  have  tried  thee  in  various 

way-,  and  DOl    in  vain  either;   stand   this  te8t  al80,  for 

add  he  insinuated  that  the  former  trials  were  trivial 
and  thee  ily  oven-  me.      Take  thy  son.'     Abraham 

replied,  '  I  have  two  sons.'  'Take  thine  only  son.'  Abra- 
ham answered,  '  Bach  is  tho  only  <<>\i  of  his  mother.' 
'Take  him  whom  thou  lovest.'  "  I  Love  both  of  them,' 
said  Abraham.  'Tai  I  .'  Thus  Abraham's  mind  was 
gradually  prepared  i<>r  this   trial     While  on  the  way 

irry  out  this  Divine  command  Satan  met  him,  and 
(parodying  Job  iv.  2-5)  said, 'Why  ought  grievous  trials 

to  be  inflicted   upon   thee?      Behold  thou   hast   instructed 

many,  and  thou  hast,  strengthened  the  weak  hands.  Thy 
words  have  supported  him  that  was  falling,  and  now  this 
sore  burden  is  Laid  upon  thee.1  Abraham  answered  (anti- 
cipating Ps.  xxvi.  1  1  1,  '  I  will  walk  in  my  integrity.1  Then 
.-aid  Satan  (see  Job  iv.  6),  '  Is  not  the  fear  (of  God)  thy 
fully  .;  Remember,  I  pray  thee,  who  ever  perished  being 
innocent  ? '  Then  finding  that  he  could  not  persuade  him, 
lie  said  (perverting  Job  iv.  12),  '  Now  a  word  came  to  me 
tealth.     I  overheard  it  behind  the  veil  (in  the  Holy 


2iS  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

of  Holies  above).     A  lamb  will  be  the  sacrifice,  and  not 

Isaac.'     Abraham  said,  '  It  is  the  just  desert  of  a  liar  not 
in  be  believed  even  when  he  speaks  the  truth.'" 

Sanhedrin,  foL  So,  coL  2. 

11.  It  is  better  to  have  ten  inches  to  stand  upon  than 
a  hundred  yards  to  fall.         Avotl      //    .  Nathan,  chap.  1. 

12.  When  [srael  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  worship  their 
Father  who  is  in  heaven,  they  sat  bo  close  together  that 
no  one  could  insert  a  finger  between  them,  yet  when  they 
had  to  kneel  and  to  prostrate  themselves  there  was  room 
enough  for  them  all  to  do  so.  Th  wonder  of  all 
was  that  even  when  a  hundred  pros!  themselves  at 
tlir  same  time  there  was  no  need  for  the  governor  of  the 
synagogue  to  request  one  to  make  room  for  another. 

p.  14S.  No.  2,  supra.)  11  :•/..  chap.  35. 


13.  A  man  is  bound  to  repeat  a  hundred  blessings  • 
day.  Mi  nachoth,  foL  43,  coL  2. 

Note. — (a.)  This  duty,  as  Ra&hi  telle  as,  is  based  upon  Deut. 
x.  1  2,  altering  the  word  ns  (what )  into  riKO  (a  hundred), 
by  the  addition  of  the  Letter  s  .  and  from  the  Tosaf  oth 
we  Learn  th-  curious  fact  that  "  the  text  counts  a  hundred 
fefter*,  with  the  addition  of  an  M  to  the  word  P!D,  the 
itself  containing  ninety  and  nine.  (See  the 
'•  Arurh,"  8.   V.  TN*: 

(A.)  This  is  what  the  so-called  Pagan  Goethe,  intent  on 

ulture  as  the  first  if  not  the  final  duty  of  man,  makes 

Serlo  in  his  "Meister"  lay  down  as  a  rule  which  one 

should  observe  daily.  "(Mi.'."'  la-  sivs,  "ought  every 
day  (0  hear  a  little  song,  lead  ;t  good  poem,  see  a  tin" 
picture,  and,  if  possible,  speak  a  few  reasonable  words." 
The  contrast  between  this  advice  and  that  of  the  Talmud 
here  and  elsewhere  3tive  of  reflections. 


14.  lie  who  possesses  one  manah  may  buy,  in  addition 
to  his  bread,  a  litra  of  vegetables ;  the  owner  of  ten  inanahs 


IPTER  XIL  21  | 

may  add  to  hia  bread  a  litra  of  fish;  he  that  has  fifty 
inanaha  may  add  a  litra  of  meat ;  while  the  possessor  of  a 
hundred  may  have  pol  ry  day. 

Chnllui,  foL  84,  COL    I. 

15.  Ben  Hey-Heyaaid  to  Hillel,  "What  does  thia  mean 
that  is  written  in  MaL  iii.  18,  'Then  Bhall  ye  n ■turn,  and 

.-■••11  the  1  ighteous  and  the  wick  •  ■•  en 

him  that  Berveth  God  and  him  that  serveth  Him  not'1 
D  hteous  hi  d  him  that  Berveth  God,  and 

the  wicked  him  that  Berveth  Him  not  ■     Why  thi 
tion  : "     To  thia  Hillel  replied,  M  The  expr<  ssiona,  'he  that 
eth  <  rod,  and  he  thai  I  b  Him  1  both  to 

be  underst 1  aa  denoting  ■  perfectly  righteous,'  but  he  who 

:i  a  hwndred  timi 
with  one  who  repeats  i;  a  hundred  and  one  times."     Then 
said  Ben  Hey-Hey,  -  What !  because  he  has  repeated  what 
he  has  Learned  only  one  time  Less  than  th  I  1 

be  consider  d  aa  '  one  who  3erveth  Him  not '?"    "  Yes  ! " 
the  reply;  "go  and  learn  a  Lesson  from  the  published 
tariff  of  the  donkey-drivers — tenmilea  forone  zouz,  eleven 
wo.  Chaggigahj  foL  9,  coL  2. 

Nora— Hillel  was  great  and  good  and  clever,  but  his  exposi- 
tion of  Scripture,  as  we  Bee  from  the  above,  is  Dot  alv 
to  be  depended  upon.  Jf,  indeed,  he  was  the  teacher  of 
Jesus,  as  Borne  Buppose  him  to  have  been,  then  Jesus 
must,  even  from  a  Rabbinical  stand-point,  be  regarded  as 
greater  than  Hillel  the  Great,  for  He  never  handled  the 
.'.  it li  such  irreveren 

16.  One  hundred  and  three  chapters  (or  psalms)  were 
uttered  by  David,  and  he  did  not  pronounce  the  word 
Hallelujah  until  he  came  to  contemplate  the  downfall  of 
the  wicked  ;  aa  it  is  written  (Pa.  civ.  35),  "Let  the  sinners 
bo  consumed  out  of  the  earth,  and  let  the  wicked  be  no 
more.  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul, Hallelujah ! "  Instead 
of  one  hundred  dad  three  we  ought  to  say  a  hundred  and 
four,  but  we  infer  from  this  that  "  Blessed  is  the  man," 


22o  A   TALMUDJC  MISCELLANY. 

&a,  and  "Why  do  the  heathen  rage?w&c.,  are  but  one 

psalm.  B  rachoth,  fol.  9,  col.  2. 

N"Ti:. — (a.)  See  chap.  i.  No.  28,  supra.  The  firsl  La  an  in- 
structive psalm,  the  Becond  9  prophetic,  and  the  reason 
why  the  two  psalms  are  merged  into  one  is  because  the 
first  begins  and  the  second  ends  with  the  same  word, 
HBWi  "  bless< 

(A.)  One  of  the  most  charming  women  thai  we  find 
figuring  in  the  Talmud  was  the  wife  of  Rabbi  Meir, 
Beruriah  by  name;  and  as  we  meei  with  her  in  the  im 
mediate  context  of  the  above  quotation,  it  may  be  well 
to  introduce  her  here  to  the  attention  of  the  reader. 
The  context  speaks  of  a  I  porant  fellows  (probably 
Greeks)  who  sorely  vexed  the  soul  of  Rabbi  .M«-ir,  her 
husband,  and  he  ardently  prayed  <  rod  to  take  them  away. 
Then  Beruriah  reasoned  with  her  husband  thus : — "  Is  it, 
pray,  because  it  is  written  (Pa  civ.  35),  4  Lei  the  sinners 
be  consumed ' ?  1;  is  do1  written  cs-in,  'sinners,'  but 
D%KBn,  'sin  .'  I  ides,  a  little  farther  on  in  the  text  it  is 
i.  ■  A:.  1  the  wicked  will  be  do  more  ; '  thai  is  to  Bay, 
D'KDfl  ion',  '  I.  .  and  tin-  wicked  will  <■ 

.  on  their  behalf  that  they  may  be 
led  to  repentance,  and  these  wicked  will  be  no  more." 
This  he  I  did,  and  they  repented  and  ceased  1" 

••;  him.  Of  this  excellent  and  humane  woman  it  may 
well  be  Baid,  "She  openeth  her  mouth  with  wisdom, 
and  in  her  tongue  is  the  law  of  kindness"  (Prov.  xxxi. 
2'').     Her  end  wa  She  was  entrapped  by  a  dis 

ciple  of  her  husband,  and  out  1  she  committed 

suicide.     (See  particulars   by   Rashi   in  Avodah  Zarah, 
foL  iS,  col.  2,  and  "  I  renesis,"  ]>.  1S7,  notes  b  and  - .) 

17.  The  Ilasinonoans  ruled  over  I -raid  during  the  time 
of  the  second  Temple  a  hundred  <>/>>/  three  years ;  and  for 
a  hundred  and  three  the  government  waa  in  tin;  hands  of 
the  family  of  Herod.  Avodah  Z<ir<ilt,  foL  9,  coL  1. 

18.  Rabbi  Yochanan  the  son  of  Zacchai  lived  a  hundred 

mi*!  twenty  years;  forty  he  devoted  to  commerce,  forty  to 
study,  and  forty  to  teaching.  1 

Rosh  Hashanah,  fol.  30,  col.  2. 

19.  One  hundred  and  twenty  elders,  and  among  them 


CHAPTER  XII.  221 

Beveral  prophets,  bore  a  part  in  composing  the  Eighteen 
\  (the  Shemonah  Esreh). 

MeggiUdhj  fol  17,  col  2. 
Note.     A    similar  tiaditioo  was  current   among   the  early 
Christiana   with   reference    to   the   composition    of   the 
1  reed.     Eta  different  sentences  were  ascril  ed  to  different 
apostles.     Bowever  fitly  this  tradition  may  ]  the 

community  of  faith  with  which  the  prophets  on  the  one 
hand  ami  tin-  apostles  "ii  the  other  were  inspired,  it  is 
immended  by  the  critic  as  a  proceeding  calculated 
to  ensure  unity  in  a  work  of  ait. 

20.  Rabbi  Shemuel  bs  I  .ken  of 

of  ;i  Gentile.  He  once  bought  a  gold  plate 
1  ( rentile  for  four  zouzim,  and  thru 
cheated  him  cut  of  one  zouz  into  the  bargain.  Rav 
Cahana  purchased  a  hundred  and  twenty  vessels  of  wine 
.  1  tile  for  a  hundred  zouzim,  and  swindled  him 
in  the  payment  out  of  one  <>f  the  hundred,  and  that  while 
til.-  ( rentile  assured  him  that  he  confidently  trusted  to  his 
honesty.  Rava  once  went  parts  with  a  Gentile  and  bought 
a  tri  .   was  cut  up  into  logs.     This  done,  he  bade 

his  mtv.  :il  pick  him  out  th.'  largest  logs,  but  to 

be  sure  t<>  take  no  more  than  the  proper  Dumber,  because 
the  Gentile  knew  how  many  there  were.  A.-  Rav  Ashi 
was  walking  abroad  one  day  he  e  growing 

in  a  roadside  vineyard,  and  sent  his  Bervant  to  Bee  whom 
they  belonged  t<>.  u  if  they  belong  to  a  Gentile,"  he  said, 
"bringsome  here  to  me;  but  if  they  belong  to  an  Israelite, 
do  not  meddle  with  them."  The  owner,  who  happened  to 
1m-  in  tli«'  vineyard,  overheard  tii»'  Rabbi's  order  and  railed 
out,  "What!  is  it  lawful  to  rob  a  Gentile?"  "Oh,  no," 
said  the  Rabbi  evasively;"a  Gentile  might  sell,  but  an 
Israelite  would  not."  Bava  Kamctj  foL  113,  col.  2. 

Note. — This  is  given  .-imj.lv  as  a  sample  <>f  the  teaching  of 

the  [Talmud  "ii  the  subject  both  by  precept  and  example. 

There  Lb  no  intention  to  cast  a  slight  on  general  Jewish 

integrity,  or  suggest  distrust    in  regard   to  their  ethical 

creed 


A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY, 

21.  Rabbon  Gamliel,  Rabbi  Eliezei  ben  Azaryah,  Rabbi 
Sehoshua,  and  Rabbi  Akiva  once  went  on  a  journey  to 
Rome,  and  at  Puteoli  they  already  heard  the  aoisy  din 
of  the  city,  though  at  a  distance  of  a  hundred  and  twenty 
miles.  At  the  sound  all  Bhed  tears  -  I  Akiva.  who 
began  to  laugh.  "Why  laughesl  thou?"  they  asked. 
•■  Why  do  you  cry  '."  he  retorted.  They  answered, "  These 
Romans,  who  worship  idols  of  wood  and  Btone  and  offer 
incei  irs  and  planets,  abide  in  peaceand  quietness, 

while  our  Temple,  which  was  the  footstool  of  our  God,  Is 
consumed  by  fire;  how  can  we  help  weeping  "  "Thai 
is  just  the  very  reason,"  said  he,  "why]  rejoice;  for  if 
such  be  the  lot  of  those  who  t:  His  laws,  v. 

shall  the  lot  of  those  be  who  observe  and  do  them 

Maccothj  l'"l.  2.},  coL  2. 

Wnen  Adam  d  that  his  sin  was  the  cause 

of  1  e  which  made  death  universal  he  fasted  one 

hundred  and  thirty  years,  abstained  all  that  space  from 
intercourse  with  his  wife,  and  wore  girdles  of  fig-leaves 
round  his  loins.  All  these  years  he  lived  under  divine 
pleasure,  and  begat  devils,  demons,  and  spectres;  as  it 
:i  (Gen.  v.  3),  "And  Adam  lived  a  hundred  and  thirty 
wars,   and    begat    in    his   own    likene  :    his    ima 

which  implies  that,  until  the  close  of  those  years,  his  oll- 
spring  were  not  alter  his  own  ima 

Eiruviriy  foL  iS,  col.  2. 

23.  There  is  a  tradition  that  there  was  once  a  disciple 
in  Yabneh  who  gave  a  hundred  and  fifty  reasons  to  prove 
a  reptile  to  be  clean  (which  the  Scripture  regards  as  un- 
clean.— Compare  Lev.  xi.  2<>)  Ibid.,  foL  13,  col.  2. 

24.  The  ablutionary  tank  made  by  Solomon  was  as 
large  as  a  hundred  and  fifty  lavatories. 

Ibid.,  fol.   14,  col.  1. 

25.  A  hundred  and  eighty  years  before  the  destruction 


\PTER  XII. 

pie,  the  empire  of  idolatry  (Rome)  began  the 
conquest  of  Israel.  Shabbath,  foL  15,  col  1. 

Notb.     The  1  mpire  of  Rome  1  think,  - 

with  all  it>  might   •  down  the 

God  t'>  the  worship  of  man,  and  resolve  the 
;  into  the  :  the  Emperor. 

26.  During  the  tim  I  second  Temple  Persia  domi- 
neered 1  and  the  I  h 

.1  Hxidh  Zarah,  foL  9,  col.  1. 

27.  Foolisl  • 

and  self-afflicting    Pharu  1   the   d  of  the 

world.     What    is    it    •  :  •        I 

woman  drowning  in  the  river  and  refrain  from  trying  to 

•  her  kx  c  ra f  \  thing.     Who  i 

•  .  villain  !     R  tbl  i  X     fa  u  He 

who  prejudii  sing  them  in 

or  of  hi  rot  has  had  tim 

make  hi  B  I  ■  '  ■:  A  I  hu    B ;.  S,  "  He  who  givi 

:  poor  man  to  make  up  for  him  the  sum  total 

of  two  hundred  zouzim  ;  for  it  is  enacted  that  he  who  pos- 

•  w  hundred  zowwn  La  not  entitled  to  receive  any 

aings,  neither  what  U  I        tten  in  the  field,  nor  what 

is  left    in  the  corner  of  it  (see   Lev.  xxiii.  22).  nor  1 

ther.     But  if  hort  of  the  two  hun- 

dred zouzim,  and  a  thousand  people  give  anything  to  him, 
he  is  still  entitled  to  the  poor  mai 

8oti  h,  f"l.    21,  COL    J. 

28.  The  cup  of  David  in  the  world  to  come  will  con- 
tain two  hundred  and  twenty-one  Logs;  as  it  is  said  (Ps. 
xxiii.  5),  "My  cup  runneth  over,"  the  numerical  value  of 
the  Hebrew  word  flm  .  "runneth  over,"  being  two  hun- 

ty-ont.  TomOf  foL  76,  coi  1. 

Nora.  —  In  the  world  to  come  the  Holy  One  will  make  a 
grand  banquet  for  the  righteous  from  the  flesh  of  the 
Leviathan.     Bava  Bathra,  f ol  75,  col  1.     (See  the  Morn- 


224  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

ing  Service  for  the  middle  days  of  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles.) God  will  make  a  banquet  for  the  righteous 
the  day  when  Be  shows  Bis  mercy  to  the  posterity  of 
Isaac.  Afterthe  meal  the  cup  of  blessing  will  be  handed 
to  Abraham,  in  order  thai  he  may  pronounce  the  bless- 
ing, 1'iit  he  will  plead  excuse  because  he  begat  [shmaeL 
Then  [saac  will  1"-  told  to  take  the  cup  and  apeak  the 
benediction  of  grace,  but  he  also  will  plead  1 1 is  unwor- 
thiness  because  he   begal    1 .  N  i  also  will 

refusi  he  married  two  Bisl  Then  Mo 

ground  that  he  was  unworthy  to  enter  the  Land  of 
promise,  or  even  to  be  buried  in  it  ;  and  finally  Joshua 
will  plead  onworthinesa  because  he  had  no  sod.  David 
will  then  be  called  upon  to  take  the  cup  and  bless,  and 
he  will  l.  .  I  will  b]     .  .       I   am  worthy  to 

bless;  as  it  is  said  (Pa  cxvi  13),  ll  will  take  the  cup 

.lvation,  and  call  upoD   the  name  of  ti:      1 
him,   foL    119,   col.   2.     This  cup,  as  we  are  told 

twenty-c 
;■*.       :       B  bbis  tell  as,  i-  the  twenty  fourth  pa] 

this  cup  will  hold  ral  than  one- 

third  of  a  hogshead  of  win 

iriab  once  found 

iw  him  sin-  spurned  him  ami 
:.  "  Is  it  not  thus  written  (2  Sam.  x  x  i*i  i .  5),'0rdered 
in  ail  and  sir  ■  : '     1 1  with  all  the  two  hundred  and 

forty-eight  members  of  thy  I  will  be  vwre;  if 

it  will  not  be  sure."     It  is  recorded  thai   Rabbi   Eli 
had  a  di  ho  also  studi  e,  hut  that  ai 

thre  he  forgot  all  that  he  had  Learned. 

Eiruvin,  foL  53,  col  2,  and  fol  54,  coL  i. 
:. — In  continuation  of  the  above  we  read  that  Shemuel 
said  to  Kiv  Fehudah,  "Shrewd  fellow,  open  thy  mouth 
when  thou  readest,  ..  thai  thy  reading  may  remain 
and  thy  life  may  be  Lengthened  ;  as  it  is  written  in  Prov. 
iv.  22,  l  For  they  are  Life  unto  those  that  find  them:' 
I  not  Dn\K¥lD7j  'that  find  them/  but  read  DrPKWDft 
'that  bring  them  forth  by  the  mouth,'  Le.,  that  read 
them  aloud."  It  was  and  is  .-till  a  common  custom  in 
the  East  to  study  aloud. 

30.  As  an  anathema  enters  all  the  two  hundred  and 


CHAPTER  XII.  225 

forty-eight  members  of  the  body,  so  does  it  issue  from 
them  all.  Of  the  entering-in  of  the  anathema  it  is  written, 
Josh.  vi.  17),  "And  the  city  shall  be  D"in,  accursed;" 
D~in,  by  Gematria  amounting  to  too  hundred  and  forty- 
eigJU.  Of  the  coming-out  of  the  anathema  it  is  written 
(Hab.  iii  2),  " In  wrath  remember  DTD,  mercy;"  Dm,  a 
transposition  of  the  letters  of  the  word  tor  accursed,  also 
amounting  by  Gematria  to  two  hundred  and  forty-eight. 
Rabbi  Joseph  .-ays,  ••  Bang  an  anathema  on  the  tail  of  a 
ill  .-till  go  on  doing  mischief." 

.1/     I  Katoriy  foL  1 7,  coL  1. 

51.  The  human  body  has  two  hundred  and  forty-tight 
members: — Thirty  in  the  fool — that  is,  six  in  each  toe — ten 
in  the  ankle,  two  in  the  thigh,  five  in  the  knee,  one  in  the 
hip,  three  in  the  hip-hall,  eleven  ribs,  thirty  in  the  hand — 
that  is,  six  in  each  finger — two  in  the  fore-arm,  two  in  the 
>w,  one  in  the  upper  arm,  four  in  the  shoulder.  Thus 
we  have  one  hundred  and  one  on  each  side;  to  this  add 
eighteen  vertebrae  in  the  spine,  nine  in  the  head,  eight  in 
the  neck,  six  in  thi  and  live  in  the  loins. 

Oholoih,  chap.  1,  mish,  8. 
Note. — Se<  ah  •  Biruvin,  foL  53,  coL  2,  and  the  Musaph  for 
the  Becond  day  of  Pentecost.  En  the  Musaph  for  the  New 
War  there  is  a  prayer  thai  runs  thus,  "Oh,  deign  to 
hear  the  voice  of  those  who  glorify  Thee  with  all  their 
members,  according  to  the  number  of  the  two  hundred 
and  forty-eight  affirmative  precepts.  In  this  month  they 
blow  thirty  Bounds,  according  to  the  thirty  memfa  I 
the  soles  of  their  feel  ;  the  additional  offerings  of  the  day 
are  ten,  according  to  the  ten  in  their  ankles;  they 
approach  the  altar  twice,  according  to  their  two  legs  ; 
five  are  called  to  the  law,  according  to  the  five  joints  in 
their  knees  ;  they  observe  the  appointed  time  to  Bound  the 
cornet  on  the  first  day  of  the  month,  according  to  the 
one  in  their  thigh  ;  they  sound  the  horn  tinier,  accord- 
ing to  the  three  in  their  hips;  lo !  with  the  additional 
offering  of  the  new  moon  they  are  eleven,  according  to 
their  eleven  ribs;  they  pour  out  the  supplication  with 
nine  blessings,  according  to  the  muscles  in  their  arms, 
and  which  contain  thirty  verses,  according  to  the  thirty 

r 


A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

in  the  palms  of  their  hands  ;  they  daily  repeat  the  prayer 
of  eighteen  blessings,  according  to  the  <i,L,rlit«'"n  vertebrae 
in  the  Bpine;  at  the  offering  of  the  continual  sacrifice 
they  sound  nine  limes,  according  to  the  nine  muscles  in 
their  head,"  &c,  &c. 

32.  It  is  related  of  Rabbi  Ishmael's  disciples  that  they 
dissected  a  low  woman  who  had  been  condemned  by  the 
Government  to  1"'  burned,  and  upon  examination  they 
found  that  hi  contained  two  hundred  and  fifty-two 

mem:  //  chorotTi,  foL  45,  coL  1. 

53.  The  regular  period  oj  tion  is  either  two  hundred 

cud  seventy-one,  two  hundred  and  Beventy-two,   or  two 
hundred  and  Beventy-three  'lays. 

Niddah,  foL  38,  coL  1. 

34.  Revere  the  memory  of  Chananiah  ben  Chiskiyah, 
for  had  it  not  been  for  him  the  Book  of  Ezekiel  would 
have  been  suppressed,  because  of  the  contradictions  it 

pa  to  th«'  worda  of  the  law.  By  the  help  of  thre<  hun- 
dred of  oil,  which  were  brought  up  into  an  upper 
chamber,  he  prolonged  his  lucubrations  till  he  succeeded 
in  reconciling  all  the  discrepance 

ibbathf  foL  13,  col.  2. 

35.  It  is  related  of  Johanan,  the  son  of  Narbai,  that  he 
I  to  eat  three  hund  ind  to  drink  three  hun 

ties  of  wine,  and  to  consume  forty  measures  of  young 
■ns  by  way  of  dessert     (Eashi  says  this  was  because 
he  had  to  train  many  priests  in  his  house.) 

P*« IcJltTTl,  foL    57,  Col.    I. 

36.  The  keys  of  the  treasury  of  Korah  were  so  many 
that  it  required  three  hundred  white  mules  to  carry  them. 
These,  with  the  locks,  were  said  to  be  made  of  white 
leather.     (See  chap.  xi.  No.  176,  supra.) 

Ibid.,  foL  1 19,  col.  I. 
Xote.  —  The  Midrash  repeats  the  same  story,  and  adds,  "  His 
wealth  was  his  ruin.''     "  Uu  is  as  rich  as  Korah  "  is  now 
a  Jewish  proverb. 


CHAPTER  XII.  227 

$7,  Rav   Chiya,  was   tutor  to  the 

children  of  Resh  Lakish,  and  on  ■  1  himself  from 

his  duties  for  three  days.  On  his  return  he  was  ques- 
tioned as  to  the  and  he  gave  the 
following  reply:  "My  ther  bequeathed  to  me  a  vine, 
trained  on  high  trellis-v  r,  from  which  I 
gathered  the  idred  bunches,  each  of  which 
yielded  a  gerav  of  win  1  iv  is  a  measure  containing  as 
mud  Us  would  contain).  On  the  second  day 
I   again 

two  only  producing  rav  (one  hunch  yielding  the 

quantity  of  wine   144  egg-shells  would   contain).     T 
third  day  I  ndred  bunches,  but  only 

three  bunches  to  the  gerav,  and  have  yet  left  more  than 
half  oft!  any  one  to  gather  them."    Ti 

upon   Resh  Laki  rved  to  him,  "  If  thou  hadst  not 

at  (losing  time  in  the  instruction  of  my 
children),  it  would  have  yielded  still  more." 

KeihubotJij  foL  11 1,  coL  2. 

38.  ]  hundn  :  of  male  demons 
in  Sichin,  but  what  the  female  demon  herself  whs  like 
is  known  to  no  one,                            a  if  fin,  foL  68,  coL  1. 

39.  "Now,  when  Job's  three  friends  heard  of  all  this 

evil  that  was  come  upon  him.  they  came  each  from  his 
own  place;  Eliphaz  the  Temanite,  Bildah  the  Shuhite, 
and   Zophar  the    Naamathite:    for   they   had   made  an 

appointment  together  to  come  and  mourn  with  him,  and 
t  1  comfort  him"  (Job  ii.  11).  What  is  meant  when  it  is 
"They  had  made  an  appointment  together ? "  Rab. 
Yrhudah  says  in  the  name  of  Rav,  "This  is  to  teach  that 
they  all  came  in  by  one  gate."  But  there  is  a  tradition 
that  each  lived  thr>>  hi>ii>!r*d  miles  away  from  the  other. 
How  then  cam.'  they  to  know  of  Job's  sad  condition  ?  Some 
say  they  had  wreaths,  others  say  trees  (each  representing 
an  absent  friend),  and  when  any  friend  was  in  distress  the 


228  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

one  representing  him  straightway  began  to  wither.     Rava 

said,  "  Hence  the  proverb,  '  Either  a  friend  as  the  friends 
of  Job,  or  death.'"  B     i  Bathra,  foL  16,  coL  2. 

Notbl — Raahi  tenders  this  explanation,  thai  Joh  and  his 
friends  had  each  wreaths  with  their  names  engraved  on 
them,  and  if  affliction  befell  any  one  his  name  upon  the 
wreath  would  change  colour. 

40.  Rabbi  Yochanan  says  that  Rabbi  Meir  knew  tl 
hundred  fables  about  foxes,  but  we  have  only  three  of 

them,  viz.,  '•  The  fathers  have  eaten  BOUT  grapes,  and  the 
children's  teeth  are  set  on  edge"  Ezek.  xviii.  2  ;  "dust 
balances  and  just  weights  "  'Lev.  xix.  56);  "The  righteous 
is  delivered  out  of  trouble,  and  the  wicked  cometh  in  his 
L"    Prov.  xi.  8). 

Sanhedrin,  fol  38,  coL  2,  and  foL  39,  coL  r. 
Note.     Quite  apropos  to  this  we  glean  the  following  from 
Rashi  :   -A  fos  once  induced  a  wolf  to  enter  a  Jewish 
dwelling  to  help  the  in:.  gel  ready  the  Sabbath 

meal  No  sooner  did  he  enter  than  the  whole  house- 
hold Bet  upon  him,  and  bo  belaboured  him  with  cudgels 
that  he  was  obliged  to  flee  for  his  life.  For  this  trick 
the  wolf  was  indignant  at  the  fox,  and  Bought  to  kill 
him,  but  he  pacified  him  with  the  remark,  "They  would 
not  have  beaten  thee  if  thy  father  had  not  on  a  former 
occasion  belied  confidence,  and  eaten  up  the  choi< 
pieces  that  were  set  aside  for  the  meaL"  "What!" 
rejoined  the  wolf,  "the  fathers  have  eaten  bout  grapes, 
and  Bhall  the  children's  teeth  be  Bet  on  edge?"  lk  WeU," 
interrupted  the  fox,  "come  with  me  now  and  I  will 
show  thee  a  place  where  thou  mayest  eat  and  be  satis- 
fied. M  Be  thereupon  took  him  to  a  well,  across  the  top 
of  which  rested  a  transverse  axle  with  a  rope  coiled 
round  it,  to  each  extremity  of  which  a  bucket  was 
attached.  The  fox,  entering  the  bucket,  which  hap- 
pened to  be  at  tin.'  t<>p,  soon  descended  by  his  own 
weight  to  the  bottom  of  the  well,  and  thereby  raised  the 
other  bucket  to  the  top.  On  the  wolf  inquiring  at  the 
fox  why  lie  had  gone  down  there,  he  replied,  because 
he  knew  there  was  meat  and  cheese  to  eat  and  be  satis- 
fied, in  proof  of  which  lie  pointed  to  a  cheese,  which 
happened  to  be  the  reflection  of  the  moon  on  the  water. 
Upon  which  the  wolf  inquired,  "  And  how  am  I  to  get 


CHAPTER  XI L 


-) 


down  bes  Pox  replied,  "By  getting  into 

the  bucket  at  the  top."     Be  did  as  directed,  and  as  he 
ended  the  bucket  with  the  i>>\  rose  to  the  top.    The 
wolf  in  this  plight  again  appealed  to  the  fox     "But 
how  am  I  to  get  i  The  reply  was,  "The  righteous 

is  delivered  out  of  trouble,  and  the  wicked  cometh  in 
his  •'  nd  is  it  aot  written,  "Just  balances  just 

wei| 

41.  When  Rabbi  Eliezer,  on  hia  deathbed,  taught  Rabbi 
Akiva  //</>•  hundred  particulars  to  be  observed  in  regard 
to  the  white  Bpot  covered  with  hair  which  was  the  sign  of 
Leprosy,  the  former  lifted  up  his  arms  and  placed  them  on 
In-  chest  and  exclaimed,  "  Woe  is  me,  be  sause  of  these  my 
two  arms,  these  two  scrolls  of  the  law,  that  arc  about 
to  depart  from  this  world  ;  for  if  all  the  seas  were  ink,  and 
all  the  :  :••  quills,  and  all  the  men  were  scribes, 

they  could  not  record  all  1  have  Learned  and  all  1  have 
taught,  and  how  much  1  have  heard  at  the  lips  of  sages  in 
the  schools.  And  what  is  more,  1  also  taught  three  hun- 
dred laws  based  oi  ■.:. '  A  witch  shall  not  live.'" 

A  '!<  cCRab.  Nathan^  chap.  25. 
Note. — This  truly  Oriental  exaggeration,  which  Rabbi  Eliezer 
b  d  Azariah  bo  complacently  applies  to  himself,  was  Bpoken 
Rabbi  Y  chanan  before  him  (Bereshith  Babba); 
and  an  acrostic  poem  in  the  Morning  Service  for  lVntccost 
adopts  the  same  hyperbole  almosl  word  for  word,  and  turns 
it  to  very  pious  account  It  Lb  interesting  to  note  how 
contemporary  Bacred  literature  abounds  in  similar  hyper- 
bolic expressions.  In  John xxi  25  it  is  Baid,  "There  are 
also  many  other  things  which  Jesus  did,  the  which,  if 
they  Bhould  be  written  every  one,  I  Buppose  that  even 
the  world  itself  could  not  contain  the  books  that  should 
be  written."  Cicero,  too,  Bpeaks  of  a  glory  of  Buch  a 
weight  that  even  heaven  itself  is  scarcely  able  to  con- 
tain it  ;  and  Livy,  on  one  occasion,  describes  the  power 
of  Rome  as  with  difficulty  restrained  within  the  limits 
of  the  w^ild. 

Bere  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  if  we  introduce  a 
few  of  the  many  passages  in  the  Talmud  that  treat  of 
enchantment  and  witchcraft,  as  well  as  magic,  charms, 
and  omens.     The  list  of  Quotations  miffht  be  extended 


A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 
to  a  hundred,  bill  we  musl  confine  ourselves  to  a  score 

(a.)  The  daughters  of  [srael bum  incense  for(purpose8 
of)  sorcery.     (Berachoth^  foL  53,  coL  1.) 

(/-.)  Ben  A/:ii  (son  of  impudence),  says,   "  .  .  .  he 

who  seats  himself   and    then  feels  ....  (which    must 

uot  1"'  explained),  the  effects  of  witchcraftj  even  when 

practised  in  Spain,  will  come  upon  him.     What  is  the 

remedy  when  one  forgets  and  first  sits  down  and  then 

...  When    he   rises  let   him  Bay,  nsi  dt.fi  \>b 

D*nnn,  'Not  these  and  not  of  these;  not  the  witchcraft 

of  sorcerers  and  not  t:  Tbid., 

2,  <    L  I.) 

(-•. )  The  daughters    f  Israel  in  later  gem  lapsed 

into  the  practice  of  witchcraft    (Eir  \.  2.) 

(d. )  ATtiflimuT  says,  "  The  superior  of  the  witchi  -  told 

me  that  when  a  \  roy  of  them  he  should 

mutter  thus,  '  May  a  potsherd  of  boiling  dung  1"-  Btuffed 

into  your  mouths,  you  ugly  witches!      May  the  hair 

with  which  yon  perform  •  be  torn  from  your 

heads,  bo  that  ye  I  ild.     May  the  wind  Bcatter 

the  crumbs  wherewith  ye  do  your  divinations.      May 

your  !  may  the  wind  blow  away 

:  hold  in  your  hands  for  the  practising  of 

\  foL  1 10,  coL  1. 

I   Yohanna,  the  daughtei     I    R  tibi,  was  a  widow, 

who  bewitched  women  in  their  confinement     1  8      Rashi 

•  h,  fol.  22,  coL  1. ) 

R  bbi  Shimon  ben  Gamliel,  in  the  name  of  Rabbi 

Yehoshua,  "  Since  the  I  ion  of  the  Temple 

a  day  has  not  passed  without  a  curse;  the  dew  does  not 

down  with  a  I  md  tin- fruits  havelost  their 

proper  taste."     Rabbi  Yossi  adds,  "  Also  the  lusciousnesa 

<.f  the  fruit  is  {  Rabbi  Shimon  ben  Elazar 

"With  the  decay  of  purity  the  taste  and  aroma  (of  the 

fruit)  has  disappeared,  and  with  tin-  tithes  the  richn 

.  ••  Lewdm  3s  and  ^  itchcraft 
ruin  everything. n     (Soteh,  foL  48,  coL  1.) 

d  used  to  Btrip  the  dead  of  their 
shrouds.  Once  when  he  came  to  the  tomb  of  Kay 
bar  Mathna,  he  was  seized  and  held  fast  by  the  beard, 
but  Abaii  having  interceded  on  behalf  of  bis  friend,  the 
grip  was  Let  go  1  1  he  was  set  at  liberty.  Nfext  year 
he  came  again  on  the  same  errand,  and  again  he  was 
seized  by  the  beard.     This  time  Abaii's  intercession  was 


CHAPTER  XII. 


211 


of  ii"  avail,  and  he  was  not  Liberated  until  fchey  brought 
a  paii  ra  and  cut  ofif  his  beard.     (Bava  Bathra, 

fol  58,  col  E.) 

(A.)  None  were  allowed  to  Bit  in  the  Sanhedrin  un] 
they  had  a  knowli  Sanhedrin,  foL   17, 

coL  1.) 

(/.)  Rabbi  Shimon  said,  "An  enchanter  is  T3yon 
■*:*  *:":  ~;%i_'  |*pn  -;•.  one  who  passeth  the  exudation 
(jht  nzzL")  of  seven  different  male  creatures  over 

i  one  who  practises  arid 

palms  off  optica]  illusions.  Rabbi  Akiva  Bays,  "  Be  is 
one  who  calculates  times  and  hours,  and  says  To-day  is 
good  to  start  on  a  journey,    1  »w  will  be  a  Lucky 

•  lav  for  Belling,   I  the  Sabbatical  year  is 

illy  good  for  growing  wheat,  The  pulling  up 
I  erve  them  from  being  spoiled."    According 

to  the  B  .  "  An  enchanter  is  he  who  augurs  ill  when 
his  bread  drops  from  his  mouth,  or  if  he  drops  the  .-tick 
that  supports  him  from  his  hand,  or  if  hie  after 

him,  or  a  crow  caws  in  his  hearing,  or  a  deer  crosses  his 
path,  orhe  Bees  a  b<  rpent  at  his  right  hand  or  a  fox  on 
it.  or  if  he  Bays  to  the  tax-gatherer,  ■  Do  not  begin 
with  me  the  first  in  the  morning;'  or,  '  It  is  the  fa 
tlir  month  ;'  or,  '  It  is  the  exit  of  the  Sabbath,1  />.,  the 
commencement  of  a  new  week."  (Sanhedrin,  foL  65, 
col  2.) 

( /.  >  "By  th»- term  witch,"  the  Rabbis  say,  "wi 
to  understand  cither  male  or  female."     "  If  so,"  it   is 
asked,  "why  the  term  nDE>3D  'witch,'  in  ExocLxxii  e8, 
in  the  Bebrew  vea       17.  is  in  the  feminine  gender?" 
."  it  is  answered,  "most  women  are  witches." 
/    /.,  foL  67,  col  1.) 
(/,-.)  If  the  proud  (in  Israel)  were  to  cease,  the  magi- 
would  also  cease;  as  it  is  written  (Isa  i.  25),  "I 
will  purge  away  thy  dross  and  take  away  all  thy  tin." 
/     ''.',  foL  98,  coL  1.) 
(/.)  Among  those  who  have  no  portionin  the  world 
ate  is   he  who  read-  the  Looks  of  the  strangers, 
foreign  books  (roiJPTin  *TDD,  hooks  of  outsiders.      See 
also  Sanhedrin,  foL  90,  col.  1).     Now  Rav  Yoseph  says, 
••  1 1  is  unlawful  to  read  the  Book  of  the  Son  of  Sirach, 
.   .  .   because  it  is  written  therein  (Ecclesiasticus  xlii.  9, 
&c,  as  quoted,  or  rathor  misquoted,  in  the  Talmud), 
•  A  daughter  is  a  false  treasure  to  her  father :  because  of 

*  Instead  of  cuttiug. 


A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY, 

anxiety  for  her  he  cannot  Bleep  at  nighl  :  when  she  ia 
young,  for  fear  Bhe  ahonld  be  seduced  ;  in  her  virginity, 
lest  she  play  the  harlol  ;  in  her  marriageable  age,  lesl 
Bhe  should  not  ur'-t  married  ;  and  when  married,  Lest  slm 
Bhould  be  childless;  and  when  grown  old,  Lesl  Bhe  prac- 
witchcraft.' "     (Sanhedrin^  foL  ioo,  col  2.) 

(in.)  He  who  multiplieth  wives  mtdtiplieth  witchcraft. 
(Avoth,  chap.  . 

.)  Most  donkey-drivers  are  wicked,  bill  mosl  sailors 
are  pious.  The  besl  physicians  are  destined  for  hell,  the 
upright  butcher  is  a  partner  of  Amalek.  Bas- 
tards are  mostly  cunning, and  servants  mostly  handsome. 
Those  who  are  well-descended  are  bashful,  and  children 
mostly  resemble  their  mother's  brother.  Rabbi  Shimon 
ben  Yochai  bids  us  "  kill  the  best  of  '  rentiles  "  (modern 
editions  qualify  this  by  adding,  in  time  of  war),  "  and 
smash  the  head  of  the  be  I  ••  The  besl 

among  women,"  he  says,  "is  a  witch."  Bl<  I  is  he 
who  dors  the  will  of  God!  N  phrim,  chap.  1^, 
hal  10.) 

I  .)  On  the  Sabbath  one  may  carry  a  grasshopper's 

-  .  he,  the  tooth  of  a  Livin 

to  promote  Bleep,  the  tooth  of  a  dead  fox  to  prevenl 
sleep,  and  the  nail  of  one  crucified  (as  a  remedy)  for 
inflammation  or  swelling.  For  cutaneous  disorders  he  is 
Baziah,  Mass  Massiah,  <  »  riah,  Shar- 
Laii,  and  Amarlaii  (names  of  angels),  &c.  ...  As  the 
mul(  and    multiply,  BO   may    the   skin 

disease  uot  is  id  upon  the  body  of  N.,  the 

son  of  the  woman  N..  &   .     (Shabbath,  foL  67,  coL  1.) 

(p.)  "  For  night-blindness,  let  a  man  take  a  hair-rope 
and  hind  one  end  of  it  to  his  own  Leg  and  the  other  to 
a  dog's,  then  Lei  children  clatter  a  potsherd  after  him, 
and  call  out,  'Old  man!  dog!  f ool !  cock!'  Lei  him 
now  collect  seven  pieces  of  meat  from  Beven  (different) 
houses :  Let  him  set  them  on  the  cross-bar  of  the  threshold, 
then  Let  him  eat  them  on  the  town  middens  ;  and  after 
thai  Let  him  undo  the  hair-rope,  then  let  him  say  thus: 
'Blindness  of  So-and-so,  son  of  Mrs.  So-and-so,  leave 
So-and-so,  son  of  Mrs.  So-and-so,  and  be  brushed  into  the 
pupil  of  the  eye  of  the  dog.'"  (Quoted  from  "The 
Fragment,"  by  Rev.  W.  11.  Lowe  of  Cambri 
(Gittin,  foL  69,  col.  1.) 

(7. )  According   to   the    Rabbis,   a   man   should   not 
drink  water  by  night,  for  thus  lie  exposes  himself  to  the 


CHAPTER  XII.  253 

power  of  Bhavriri,  the  demon  of  blindness.  "What  then 
should  In-  do  if  he  is  thirsty  I  If  there  be  another 
man  with  him,  Let  him  rouse  him  up  and  say,  u  I  am 
thirsty  ;"  but  if  he  be  alone,  let  him  tap  upon  the  lid  of 
the  jug  (to  make  the  demon  fancy  there's  some  one  -with 
him),  and  addressing  himself  by  bis  own  name  and  the 
name  of  his  mother,  let  him  aay,  "Thy  mother  has 
bid  thee  beware  of  SJiavriri,  vriri,  riro,  in,  ri"  in  a 
white  cup.  Rashi  says  by  this  incantation  the  demon 
gradually  contracts  and  vanishes  as  the  sounds  of  the 
word    Shavriri    de  (Av  ddh    Zarah,    foL    12, 

coL  2. 1 

(/•. )  A  python  is  a  familiar  spirit  who  Bpeaks  from 
hi-  arm-pits  ;  a  wizard  is  one  who  speaks  with  the  mouth. 
As  tie-  Rabbis  have  taught,  a  familiar  spirit  is  one  who 
speaks  from  his  joints  and  his  wri.-ts  ;  a  wizard  is  one 
who,  putting  a  certain  bone  into  his  mouth,  causes  it  t«> 
speak.     (Sanhedrin,  foL  65,  col.  1,  2.) 

(*.)  lie  who  says  to  a  raven,  "  Croak,"  and  to  a  hen 
.  "  Droop  thy  tail  and  turn  it  this  way  as  a  lucky 
sign,"  is  an  imitator  of  the  ways  of  the  Amorites  (Lev. 
xviii.  3).     (Shabbath,  foL  67,  col.  2.) 

(/.)  Women  going  out  on  the  Sabbath-day  are  allowed, 
as  tie-  Rabbis  teach,  to  carry  with  them  PiDlpJl  pK,  a 
certain  stone  believed  to  counteract  abortion. 

Abaii  interrupts  his  exposition  of  this  Halachah  in  order 
to  enumerate  certain  antidotes  to  chronic  fever  which, 
lie  says,  he  had  learned  from  his  mother.  Take  a  new 
zouz  and  then  procure  its  weight  in  sea-salt;  han£  this 
round  the  neck,  suspended  by  a  papyrus  fibre,  so  that  it 
may  rest  jusl  in  the  hollow  in  front.  If  this  does  not 
answer,  ,uro  where  two  or  more  roads  meet  and  watch  for 
the  firsl  big  ant  that  is  going  home  loaded;  lay  hold  of 
it  and  place  it  in  a  brass  tube  ;  Btop  up  the  end  of  the 
tube  with  lead,  putting  as  many  Bealsuponitas  possible; 
tic  n  shake  it,  savin-  the  while,  "  My  load  be  upon  thee, 
and  thine  upon  me."  To  this  Rav  Acha,  the  son  of 
Rav  llunna,  objected  to  Rav  Ashi,  and  asked,  "Might 
not  the  ant  have  been  already  laden  with  another  man's 
fever  I  "  "  True,"'  observed  the  other  ;  "  nevertheless  let 
him  say,  '  My  load  be  upon  thee  as  M'ell  as  thine  own.'" 
If  this  be  not  effective,  then  take  a  new  earthenware  pot, 
and  going  to  the  nearest  stream,  say,  "  Stream,  stream, 
hud  me  a  pot  full  of  water  for  one  who  is  on  a  visit  to 
me."     Wave  it  seven  times  round  thy  head  and  then 


:34  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

throw  the  water  Lark  again,  Baying  "Stream,  stream, 
take  back  thy  borrowed  water,  for  my  guest  came  and 
went  tin'  same  day." 

Rav  Iluima  then  adds  a  prescription  for  a  tertian 
fever,  and  Rabbi  Yochanan  gives  the  following  as 
effective  against  a  burning  fever:-  Take  an  iron  knife, 
and  having  fastened  a  papyrus  fibre  to  the  nearest 
bramble,  cut  off  a  piece  and  Bay,  "  And  the  Angel  of  the 
Lord  appeared  to  him  in  &  flam*  of  fire,"  &c,  a&  in  I 
iii.  2.     On  the  mon  off  another  piece  and  say, 

"The  Lord  saw  that  he  (the  fever)  tut  ."  then 

upmi  the  third  d  "  1  toaw  no1  hither,"  and  Btooping 

down,  pray,  "Bush,  bush!  the  Eoly  One—blessed  1"' 
II'  :     i  '■.     I    II  -.  -   Shechinah  to  Lodge  upon  thee,  not 
irt  the  loftiest,  for  thou  art  the  Lowest  of  all 
trees}  and  as  when  thon  didst  see  the  fire  of  Hananiali, 

tel,  and  Azariah,  thon  didsl   flee  therefrom, 
the  fire  (fever)  of  this  sufferer  and  flee  from  it."     (Shab- 
hath,  foL  66,  coL  2,  & 

(u.)  Rabba  i  bed  a  man  (out  of  dust)  and 

him  to  Rabbi  Zira,  who  having  addressed  the  ii._rur>-  and 
received  no  ai  id,  "Thon  art  (made)  by  witch- 

craft ;  return  to  thy  nal  Chaneanah  and 

<  tahayah         I  bbath  eve  Btudying 

rrw  TDDi  the  book  Y-t/.imh  (/.»■.,  the  book  of  Creation), 
until  they  were  able  to  create  I  a  calf  (as 

three-year  old,  and   they  did  eat  tl. 

'"'//•///,   f(  '..    2.) 

(r. )  Fannai  once  turned  in  to  a  certain  inn,  and  asked 
for  water  to  drink,  when  they  gave  him  xrvnL"  (Shethi- 
tha,  /.'.,  water  mixed  with  flour).  1 K-  noticed  that  the 
lips  of  the  woman  who  brought  it  moved  (and 

thing  was  wrong),  he  poured  out  a  little  of 
:.l  it  became  scorpions.  Ee  then  said,  "1  have 
drunk  of  thine,  now  thou  Bhalt  drink  of  mine."  The 
woman  drank  and  was  transformed  into  an  ass,  which 
he  mounted  and  rode  to  the  market-place.  One  of  her 
companions  having  conn.'  up,  broke  the  Bpell,  and  the  ass 
he  had  ridden  was  on  the  spot  transformed  back  again 
into  a  woman.  In  reference  to  the  above,  Rashi  naively 
remarks  that  "we  are  not  to  suppose  that  Yannai 
was  a  RaLLi,  for  lie  was  not  held  in  esteem,  be- 
cause he  practised  witchcraft"  But  Rashi  is  mistaken  ; 
see  Sophrim,  chap.  16,  hal.  6.  {Sarikedrin,  ful.  67, 
col  2.) 


CHAPTER  XII.  255 

("•.1    ,  ;  witchcraft  came  into  the  world; 

1  nine  u.  :  the  world 

one,     (Kiddushinj  foL  40,  coL  2 

I        Rabl  Sabbath  p^DB^DI  \s20 

D*yt3  'izz.      rpenta   and    Bcorpions  may  be    tamed   by 
charming;  that  a  metal  ring,  Buch  as  may  be  carried  on 
the  Sabbath,  may  be  applied  aa  a  remedy  to  a  Bore  eye  ; 
thai  demons  may  not  be  consulted  on  that  day  about 
roperty.     Ral  .id,  "  This  ought  not  to 

-Hi  week-daya       R      B  iys,  k'  The 

Balachah  does  ii"t  enjoin  as  Rabbi  Yossi  say.-,  and  even 
he  prohibits  it  only  b  f  the  risk  there  Is  in  con- 

sulting demons.     For  install    .1;-.  JTitzchak  bar  Yoseph 
tely  delivered  from  the  attacks  of  a 
mon  by  a  ced  its  own  accord 

ami  enclosing  him  in  its  trunk.''     (Sanhedrin,  foL  ioi, 
col   I.) 

Rabbi  1     :  man  ben  Zachai  acquired  a  knowledge 
«.f  tip-  Languaj  gels  and  demons  for  purpoi 

incantation.     (Bava  Bathra^  foL  134,  coL  1.) 

•■  Neither  shall  ye  use  enchantments"  .  .  .  (Lev. 

ii,  for  instance,  as  those  practised  with 

:  .wis,  and  fiahi  S     hedrin,  foL  66,  col.  1.) 

(aa.)    liav  Ketina  happened  one.',  in  his  travels,  to  hear 

tin-  noise  of  an  earthquake  just  as  he  came  opposite  to 

tlx-  abode  of  one  who  was  wont  to  conjure  with  human 

Eappening  to  mutter  aloud  to  himself  as  ho 

:.  ••  1 1     •  the  conjurer  really  know  what  that  ooise 

1  voice  answered,  "  Ketina,  Retina,  why  shouldn't 

I  know  .'    When  the  Holy  One     blessed  be  He!     thinks 

of    His   children   who  dwell    in   sorrowful   circumstances 

among  tie-  nations  of  the  earth.  Be  lets  fall  two  tears 

into  the  -  ,  and  B  is  voice  is  heard  from  one  end 

of  tie-  world  to  the  other,  and  that  is  the  rumbling  noise 

we  hear."     Upon  which    Rav   Retina  protested,  "The 

conjurer  is  a  liar,  his  words  are  not  true;  they  might 

have  been  true,  had  there  been  two  rumbling  noises." 

The   fart    was,   two  such   noises  were  heard,  but  Rav 

Ketina  would  not  acknowledge  it,  lest,  l»y  so  doing,  lie 

should  increase  the   popularity  of  the  conjurer.      Rav 

Retina  is  of  opinion  that  the  rumbling  noise  is  caused 

by  God  clapping  Bis  hands  together,  as  it  is  said  (Ezek. 

xxi  22;  A.  V,  vit.  17),  "I  will  also  smite  My  hands 

ther,  and  I  will  cause  My  fury  to  rest."    (Berachoth, 

foL  59,  col.  1.) 


236  A   TALMUD1C  MISCELLANY. 

42.  Rabbi  Elazar  1  >«  t  1  Azariah  proclaimed  this  anatbema 
with  the  blast  of  three  hundred  trumpets: — "Whoever 
shall  take  drink  from  the  hand  of  a  bride,  no  matter 
whether  she  be  the  daughter  of  a  disciple  of  the  wise  or 
the  daughter  of  an  Amhaaretz,  it  is  all  one  as  it"  he  drunk 
it  from  the  hand  of  a  harlot."  Again,  it  is  Baid.  "  Be  who 
receives  a  cup  from  the  hands  of  a  bride  and  drinks  it 
therefrom,  has  no  portion  whatever  in  the  world  to  come." 

Trad  Calah. 

43.  There  was  a  place  for  collecting  the  ashes  in   the 
middle  of  the  altar,  and  there  were  at  times  in  it  nearly 
as  much  as  thr<  •  hundred  cors  1  equal  to  about  2S30  bushels 
of  ashes.     On  Rava  remarking  that  this  must  be  an  exag- 

ition,  Rav  Ammi  said  the  law,  the  prophets,  and  the 
-  is  are  wont  to  use  hyperbolical  language.     Thus  the 
law  speaks  of  "  1  jreat  and  walled  up  to  heaven  " 

(Deut.  i.  28);  the  prophet  .'.of  "  the  earth  rent  with 

the  sound  of  them"  (1  Kings  i.  40);  the  sages  speak  as 
above  and  also  as  follows  There  was  a  golden  vine  at  the 
entrance  of  the  Tei  ;  I  .  trailing  on  crystals,  on  which 
devotees  who  could  used  to  Buspend  offerings  of  fruit  and 
grape  clusters.  "  It  happened  one,"  said  Rabbi  Elazer 
hen  Rabbi  Zadoc,  "  that  three  hundred  priests  wen-  counted 
oil  to  clear  the  vine  of  the  offerings." 

Chullin,  foL  90,  coL  2. 

44.  Three  hundred  priests  were  told  off  to  draw  the 
veil  (of  the  Temple)  aside  ;  for  it  is  taught  that  Rabbi 
Shimon  ben  Gamliel  declared  in  the  name  of  Iiabbi 
Shimon  the  Sagan  (or  high  priest's  substitute),  that  the 
thickness  of  the  veil  was  a  handbreadth.  It  was  woven 
of  seventy-two  cords,  and  each  cord  consisted  of  twenty- 
four  strands.  It  was  forty  cubits  long  and  twenty  wide. 
Eighty-two  myriads  of  damsels  worked  at  it,  aud  two  such 
veils  were  made  every  year.  When  it  became  soiled,  it 
took  three  hundred  priests  to  immerse  and  cleanse  it. 

I  bid.  ^  ful.  90,  col.  2. 


CHAPTER  XIL  237 

45.  When  Moses  was  about  to  enter  Paradise  he  turned 

to  Joshua  and  said,  "  If  any  doubtful  matters  remain,  ask 
me  iinw  and  I  will  explain  them."  To  this  Joshua  re- 
plied, "  Have  I  ever  left  thy  side  for  an  hour  and  gone 
away  to  any  other  \  Hast  thou  not  thyself  written  con- 
cerning  me  (Exod.  xxxiii.  11), 'His  servant  Joshua,  the 
Bon  of  Xun,  a  young  man,  departed  not  out  of  the  Taber- 
nacl  A     a  punishment  for  this  pert  reply,  which 

must  have  distressed  and  confounded  his  master,  Joshua's 
power  of  brain  was  immediately  weakened,  so  that  he 
forgot  three  hundred  Halachahs,  and  seven  hundred  doubts 
Bprang  ap  to  perplex  him.  All  Israel  then  rose  up  to 
munler  him,  hut  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He! — said 
unto  him,  "  To  teach  thee  the  Halachahs  and  their  explana- 
tion is  impossible,  but  go  and  trouble  them  with  work; 
as  it  is  said  (Josh.  1.  1 ),  '  Now  after  the  death  of  Moses, 
the  servant  of  the  Lord,  it  came  to  pass  that  the  Lord 
spake  unto  Joshua,'  "  &C.  Temurah,  foL  16,  coL  1. 

In  the  future  God  will  assign  to  each  righteous 
man  three  hundred  and  ten  worlds  as  an  inheritance;  for 
it  is  said  (  Prov,  viii.  2l),"That  I  may  cause  those  that 
love  me  to  inherit  (#*)  substance,  and  I  will  till  their 
treasures/'  W  by  Gematria  equals  three  hundred  and  ten. 
Sanhedrin,  fol.  100,  coL  r,  and  Okitzin,  chap.  3,  mish  12. 

47,  An  old  woman  once  complained  hefore  Rav  Nach- 
man  that  the  Head  of  the  Captivity  and  certain  Kabbis 

with  him  were  enjoying  themselves  in  her  booth,  which 
they  had  surreptitiously  taken  possession  of  and  would 
not  surrender,  but  Rav  Nachman  gave  no  heed  to  her 
remonstrance.  Then  she  raised  her  voice  and  cried  aloud, 
■•  A  woman  whose  father  had  three  hundred  and  eighteen 
slaves  is  now  pleading  hefore  you,  and  you  paying  no  heed 
to  her  !  "  Upon  whieh  Iiav  Nachman  turned  to  his  associ- 
ates and  said,  "  She  is  a  bawling  woman,  but  she  has  no 
right  to  claim  the  booth,  only  the  value  of  its  timber." 

Succah,  fol.  31,  col.  1. 


23S  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

48.  Elijah  the  Tishbite  once  said  to  Rav  Yehudah,  the 
brother  of  Rav  Salla  the  Holy,  "  You  ask  why  the  Messiah 

3  not  come,  but  though  it  is  jusl  now  the  Day  of 
Atonement/'Xynnaa  ttrmm  HM^UttKT  "And what," 
asked  the  Rabbi,  "does  the  Holy  One — blessed  1"'  He! — 
say  to  that?"  "  He  says, '  Sin  lieth  at  the  door '"  (Gen. 
iv.  7).  "And  what  lias  Satan  t<>  Bay?"  "He  lias  no 
permission  to  accuse  any  one  on  the  Day  of  Atonement." 
■  How  do  we  know  this  ? "     Ramma  bar  Chamma  replied, 

.'in   (TJU'ii)   by  Gematria  equals  three  hundred   ami 
on  that  number  of  days  only  has  he 
permission  1  ;  but  on  the  Day  of  Atonement 

' » 5 1 1 1  day;  he  cannot  accu-    "      }    ::n,  foL  20,  coL  1. 

49.  Rav  Yitzchak  said,  "  What  is  the  meaning  of  that 
which  is  written  (Ps.  cxL  8),  'Grant  not,  0  Lord,  the 
desires  of  th  I ;  further  not  his  wicked  device,  L  I 
they  exalt  themselves.    Selah  V    It  is  the  prayer  of  Ja 

to  the  L'»rd  of  the  universe  that  He  would  not  grant  to 
Esau,  "the  wirk.Ml.th>'  desires  of  his  heart."    "  Further 
his  wicked  device,"  this  refers  to  Germamia  of  Edom 
(i.e.,  Rome),  for  if  they  (the  R  m  in     wi  1  1  1  uffered  to 
forward  they  would  destroy  the  wholeworld  !     Rav  Chama 
bar  Chanena  said.  "There  are  three  hundred  crowned  h<  1  I 
in  Germamia  of  Edom,  and  there  are  three  hundred  and 
dukes  in  Babylon.     These  encounter  each  other 
daily,  and  one  of  them  commits  murder,  and  they  strive  to 
p  a  king."  Meggillah,  foL  6,  coL  2. 

50.  In  the  great  city  (of  Rome)  there  were  three  hundred 
and  sixty-Ji  reets,  and  in  each  street  there  were  three 
hundred  and  >e  palaces,  and  in  every  one  of  these 
there  were  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  steps,  each  of 
which  palaces  contained  sufficient  store  to  maintain  the 
whole  world.  P'sachim,  fol.  118,  col.  2. 

51.  There  are  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  negative 
precepts.     (See  No.  84,  infra) 


CHAPTER  XII.  239 

52.  There  were  three  hu\  d  ninety-four  courts  of 

law  in  Jerusalem,  and  as  many  synag  Lso  the  Bame 

number  of  high  b  hools,  colleges,  and  academies,  and  as 
many  ofG 

K>  thuboihf  foL  1 05,  coL  1. 

$2>-  Rav  Hunna  hsLdfourhw  iks  of  wine  which 

had  turned  into  vinegar.  On  hearing  of  his  misfortune, 
Kav  Sehudah,  the  brother  of  Rav  Salla  the  Holy,  or,  as 

y.  Rav  Adda  bar  Ahavah,  came  and  visited  him, 

accompai  Eta  Let  tl     mastei       rid  they, 

imine   himself  carefully."     "What!"  Baid   he,   "do 

you  Bupposi  ;il:y  of  wrong-doing ? " 

"Shall  we  I  .-'1  they,  "su        I   the  Holy   One — 

be  lie  ! — of  executing  judgment  \\  ithout  justii 
"Well,"  Baid   Rav  Hunna,  "if  you  b  trd  anything 

again8l  me,  don't  i  mceal  1:."     "  It   !  n  reported  to 

US,"  .-aid  they,  '*  that  the  master  has  withheld  1 1 

shar  prunings."    u  What  else,  pray,  did  he  Leave 

me?"  retorted  Rav  Hunna;  "he  has  stolen  all  the  pro- 

my  vineyard."    They  replied,  ' 

ing  that  whoever  Bteals   from  a  thief  Bmells  of  theft." 

■•  Then,"  said  he,  "  I  hereby  promise  to  give  him  his  Bhare." 

reupon,  according  to  some,  the  vinegar  turned  to  wine 

in  :  and,  according  to  others,  the  price  «»f  vinegar  rose 

to  the  price  of  wine.  Beraehothj  foL  5,  coL  2. 

54.  Rav  Adda  bar  Ahavah  oi  1  a  Gentile  woman 

in  the  market-]  '  tring  a  red  head-dress,  and  sup- 

posing that  she  was  a  daughter  of  Israel,  he  impatiently 
tore  it  off  her  head.  For  this  outrage  he  was  fined  a  fine 
•  if  four  hundred  zouzim.  He  asked  the  woman  what  her 
name  was,  and  Bhe  replied,  "  Mv  name  is  Mathan."  "Me- 
thnn.  Methun,"  he  wittily  rejoined,  "is  worth  fowr  hun- 
dred zouzim."     (See  No.  69,  infra.) 

Ibid.f  foL  20,  coL  1. 

Note. — (a.)  nno   Bounds   like   mKDj    Methun   or   Mathan. 

The   former   means  patience  and    the   latter  means    two 


240  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

hundred.  The  point  lies  either  in  the  application  of 
the  term  Methun,  which  means  patience,  as  if  to  Bay, 
had  he  beeD  bo  patient  as  to  have  first  ascertained  what 
the  woman  was,  he  would  have  saved  his  four  hundred 
zouzim  ;  or  in  the  identity  of  the  Bound  Mathan,  /.'.,  two 
hundred^  which  doubled,  equals  four  hundred.  This 
has  long  since  passed  into  a  proverb,  and  expresses  the 
value  of  pati 

(/».)  Erom  the  f  •  extract  it  would  Beem  that 

it  was  not  the  fashion  among  Jewish  females  to  wear 
head-  I  I  a  red  colour,  as  it  was  presumed  to  indi- 

cate a  certain  Lightness  on  the  pari  of  the  wearei ;  b  i  R  ■  ■ 
Adda  in  his  pious  zeal  thoughl  he  was  doing  a  good  work 

■  it  off  from  the  head  of  the  Bupposed  •' 
••  Patience,  patience  is  worth  four  hundred  zouzim." 

-'in  among  the  Jews  had  then,  as  now,  the 

[ion.     The  Talmud  says,  "A  man  should 

i  deviate  from  a  Bottled  custom.     M         ascended 

<»n  high  and  did  not  i  I  (for  there  it   is  not  the 

down  to  earth  and  did  eat  bread 

the  custom  bo  to  do)."     B  1 1 1  M 

86,  coL  2. 

\  In  the  olden  time  it  was  nol   the  fashion  for  a 

Jew  to  wear  black  shoes  (Taanith,  foL  22,  col.  1 ).      Even 

now,  in  Poland,  a  pious  dew,  or  a  Chasid,  would  on  no 

ant  wear  polished  boots  01  a  short  coat,  or  neglect 

to  wear  a  girdle.     He  would  at  one-  lose  caste  and  he 

subjected  to  persecution,  direct  or  indirect,  were  he  to 

:t  from  a  custom.     ;hd  :nr:.  C    lorn  is  law,  is  an 

oft-quoted  Jewish  proverb,  one  among  the  most  familiar 

of  their  household  words,  as  ususesl  tyrannus,  "  Custom 

is  a  tyrant."  is  among  ours.     Another  saying  we  have  is, 

■  I    istom  is  the  plague  of  wise  nan,  but  is  the  idol  of 

Is." 

55,  The  following  anecdotes  are  related  by  way  of  prac- 
tically illustrating  Ps.  ii.  11,  "Rejoice  with  trembling." 
Mar,  the  son  of  Ravina,  made  a  grand  marriage-feast  for 
his  son,  and  when  the  Rabbis  were  at  the  height  of  their 
merriment  on  the  occasion,  he  brought  in  a  very  costly 
cup,  worth  four  hundred  zouzim,  and  broke  it  before  them, 
and  this  occasioned  them  sorrow  and  trembling.  Rav 
Ashi  made  a  grand  marriage-feast  for  his  son,  and  when 


CHAPTER  XII. 


:4i 


li<'  noticed  the  Rabbis  in  high  jubilation,  ho  brought  in  a 
•  ly  cup  of  white  glass  and  broke  it  before  them,  and 
this  made  them  il.     The  Rabbis  challenged  Rav 

Eamnunah  on  the  wedding  of  his  son    Ravina,  saying, 
.  Bir,"  and  he  Bung,  "  Woe  be  to  us,  for  we 
must  die!    Woe  be  to  as,  for  we  must  die!"    "  Ami  what 
shall  we  orus  by  way  of  response. 

II  •  replied,  "Sing  j  is  the  law  we  have 

Btudied  \  where  the  good  works  we  have  done  I  that  they 
may  protect  as  from  the  punishment  of  hell!'"  Rabbi 
Ebchanan,  in  the  name  of  Rabbi  Shimon  ben  Fochai, 

is  unlaw  i'ul  for  a  man  to  lill  his  mouth  with  Laughter 
in  this  world,  for  it  is  said  in  Pa  exxvi,  'Then  (but  not 
will  our  mouth  be  filled  with  laughti  r/M  &c.  It  is 
related  of  Resh  Lakish  that  he  never  once  Laughed  again 
all  the  rest  of  his  Life  from  the  time  that  he  heard  this 
from  Rabbi  rochanan,  his  teacher. 

Beraehothf  foL  30,  coL  2,  and  foL  31,  col  i. 

56.  A  man  once  Laid  a  wager  with  another  that  he 
would  put  Hillel  out  of  temper.  If  he  succeeded  he  was 
■eive,  but  if  he  failed  he  was  to  forfeit,  four  hundred 
zouzinx  It  was  close  upon  Sabbath-eve,  and  Hillel  was 
washing  himself,  when  the  man  passed  by  his  door,  shout- 
ing, •■  Where  is  Hillel  I  where  is  HilleU"  Hillel  wrapped 
his  mantle  round  him  and  sallied  forth  to  see  what  the 

man  wanted.  "  I  want  to  a>k  thee  a  question,"  was 
the  reply.  "Ask  on,  my  son,"  said  Hillel  Whereupon 
the  man  said,  u  I  want  to  know  why  the  Babylonians  have 
such  round  heads?"  "A  very  important  question,  my 
Bon,"  Baid  Hillel;  "the  reason  is  because  their  midwives 
arc  not  clever."  The  man  went  away,  hut  after  an  hour  he 
returned,  calling  out  as  before,  "  Where  is  Hillel '.  where  is 
Hillel  \  "  Hillel  again  threw  on  his  mantle  and  went  out, 
meekly  asking,  "What  now,  my  son?"  "I  want  to 
know,"  said  he,  "why  the  people  of  Tadmor  are  weak- 
I  I  '    Hillel  replied,  "  This  is  an  important  question,  my 


242  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

Bon,  and  the  reason  is  this,  they  live  in  a  Bandy  country." 
Away  went  the  man,  but  in  another  hour's  time  he  rel  urned 
as  before,  crying  out,  "  Where  is  Hillell  whereia  Billel?" 
Out  came  Hilhd  again,  as  gentle  as  ever,  blandly  request- 
ing to  know  what  more  he  wanted.  "I  have  a  question 
to  ask,"  said  the  man.  "Ask  on,  my  son."  said  HilleL 
•■  Well,  why  have  the  Africans  such  broad  feet  ?"  said  he. 
■  Because  they  live  in  a  marshy  land,"  said  BilleL  "  I 
have  many  more  questions  to  ask,"  said  the  man,  "but  1 
am  afraid  that  I  Bhall  only  try  thy  patience  and  make 
thee  angry."  Hillel,  drawing  his  mantle  around  him,  sat 
down  and  bade  the  man  ask  all  the  questions  he  wished. 
•  thou  H  rid  he,"whom  they  call  a  prince  in 

I       •]  : "     "Yes,"  was  the  reply.     "  Well,"  said  the  other, 
'•  1  pray  there  may  not  1"'  many  more  in  Israel  like  thi 
'•  Why,"  Bai  i   Billel,  "  how  is  th  "  Bei  au 

the  man,  "1  have  L  four  hundred  zouzim that  [could 

put  tin ut  of  temper,  and  I  have  lost  them  all  through 

thee."     "Be  warned  for  the  future,"  said  Hillel;  "bi 
i;  is  that  thou  shouldsl  iose  four  hundred  zouzim,  and  four 
hundred  more  after  them,  than  u  Bhould  be  said  of  Hillel 
he  lost  his  tern]  Shabbath,  foL  31,  coL  t. 

57.  Rabbi  Perida  had  a  pupil  to  whom  he  had  to  re- 
hearse a  less  mfour  hundred  times  before  the  latter  com- 
prehended it.  One  day  •  ■  Rabbi  was  hurriedly  called 
away  to  perform  some  charitable  act,  hut  before  he  went 
he  repeated  the  lesson  in  hand  the  usual  four  hundred 
times,  hut  this  time  his  pupil  failed  to  learn  it.  "  What 
is  the  reason,  my  son,"  said  he  t»  his  dull  pupil,  "that 
this  time  my  repetitions  have  he. mi  thrown  away  ?"  ".Be- 
cause, master,''  naively  replied  the  youth,  "my  mind  was 
so  pre-occupied  with  the  summons  you  received  to  dis- 
charge another  duty."  "  Well,  then,"  said  the  Rabbi  to 
his  pupil,  "  let  us  bcuin  again."  And  he  repeated  the 
lesson  a  second  four  hundred  times. 

Eiruvlii,  foL  54,  col.  2. 


CHAPTER  XII.  243 

-  .  Between  Azel  and  A.-  1  1  Chron.  viii  38  and  ix. 
44>  there  axe  four  hundred  camel-loads  of  critical  researches 
due  :■   •  e  of  manifold  contradictions. 

I''  .  I  L  62,  coL  2. 

59.  Egypt  has  an  area  of  four  hundred  Bquare  mi] 

Ibid.,  foL  94,  coL  1. 

60.  The  Targum  of  the  Pentateuch  w  ited  by 
Onkelos  the  proselyte  at  the  dictation  of  Rabbi  Elii 
and  Rabbi  Yehoshua,  and  the  Targum  of  the  prophets 
was  executed  by  Jonathan  ben  Uzziel  at  the  dictation  of 
1 1  ^gai,  Zachariah,  and  Malachi  !  .  at  which  time  the  land 
of  Israel  was  convulsed  over  an  area  of  four  hundred 
Bquare  mi                                        Meggillah,  foL  3,  coL  1. 

6r.  Mar  Ukva  was  In  the  habil  of  sending  on  the 
Day  oi  A.1  oement  four  hundred  zouzim  to  a  poor  neigh- 
bour of  bis.  One.'  I  the  money  by  his  own  son, 
who  returned  bringing  it  back  with  him,  remarking, 
■•  There  is  no  need  1  n  charity  upon  a  man  who,  as 
I  myself  ha?  is  able  to  indulge  himself  in  expen- 
old  wine."  "  Well,"  said  his  father,  •■since  he  is  so 
dainty  in  bis  taste,  he  must  have  seen  better  days.  I  will 
•  double  the  amount  for  the  future."  And  this 
accordingly  he  at  oner  remitted  to  him. 

Kethuboth,  foL  67,  coL  2. 

And  Joseph  took  an  oath  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
.  .  .  ye  shall  carry  up  my  bones  from  hence"  (Gen.  L 

25).  Rabbi  Chanena  said,  "There  La  a  reason  for  this 
oath.  As  Joseph  knew  that  he  was  perfectly  righteous, 
why  then,  if  the  dead  are  to  rise  in  other  countries  as  well 
as  in  the  land  of  [srael,  did  he  trouble  his  brethren  to 
cany  his  bones  four  hundred  miles?"  The  reply  is,  "He 
feared  Lest,  if  buried  in  Egypt,  he  might  have  to  worm  his 
way  through  subterranean  passages  from  his  grave  into 
the  land  of  Israel."  Ibid.,  fol.  in,  col.  1. 

NOTE. — To    this    day  among  the  Tolish  Jews  the  dead  are 


244  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

provided  f<>r  their  l"nur  subterranean  journey  with  little 
wooden  forks,  with  which,  at  the  Bound  of  the  great 
trumpet,  they  are  to  dig  and  burrow  their  way  from 
where  they  happen  to  1"'  buried  till  they  arrive  in 
Palestina  To  avoid  this  inconvenience  there  are  Borne 
among  them  who,  on  the  approach  •  to 

B  '.■-  I.  :.  1.  that  their  bones  may  reel  there  against 
the  morning  of  th<  tion.     In  the  context  of  our 

quotation  more  may  be  found  on  this  quaint  conceit  in 
tion  of  tli"  body. 

6$.  I'.tv  <  "ali ma  was  once  Belling  Ladies'  b  when 

he  was  exposed  I  trial  of  a  sinful  temptation.     He 

pled  with  his  tempter  to  let  him  off  and  mised  to 

return,  but  instead  of  doing  I   up  to  I 

of  the  house  and  threw  himself  down  headlong.     1 
he  reach    .         ground,  however,  Elijah  came  and  caught 
him,  and  reproached  him,  e  inght   him   up,  with 

having  brought  him  a  di  wr  hundred  mil     I  i 

•  him  from  an  act  of  wilful  self-destruction.      The 
Kahlii  told  him  that  it  was  his  poverty  which  had  given 
•  tmptation  the  power  of  seduction.      Thereupon 
Elijah  gave  him  a  vessel  full  Lenarii  and  departed. 

A"    ■'  hish in,  f<il.  40,  coL    I. 

64.  "  Pashux,  the  son  1  f  [mmer  the  priest "  (Jer.  xx.  1) 
had  four  hundred  servants,  and  every  one  of  them  rose 
to  the  rank  of  the  pri  One  consequence  was  that 
an  insolent  priest  hardly  ever  appeared  in  [srael  but  his 
gem  iuld  be  traced  to  this  base-born,  Low-bred 
ancestry.     Rabbi  Elazar  said,  "  It  thou  Beest  an  impu 

lo  not  think  evil  of  him,  for  it  is  said  |  Bos.  iv.  4), 
'  Thy  people  are  as  they  that  Strive  with  the  priest'  " 

Ibid.,  foL  70,  coL  2. 

65.  David  had  four  hundred  young  men,  handsonn-  in 
appearance  and  with  their  hair  cut  close  upon  their  fore- 
heads, but  with  long  flowing  curls  behind,  who  used  to  ride 
in  chariots  of  gold  at  the  head  of  the  army.     These  -. 
men  of  power  (men  of  the  fist,  in  the  original),  the  mighty 


CHAPTER  XII.  245 

men   of  the  house   of  David,  who  went  about  to  strike 
terror  into  the  world  (NOty  WW&  ^TNl  OWUM  tyS). 

K  Idushinj  foL  76,  col.  2. 

66.  Four  hundred  boys  and  aa  many  girla  were  once 
kidnapped  and  tern  from  their  relations.  When  they 
learnt  the  purpose  of  their  capture,  they  all  exclaimed, 

■  B  "  r  drown  ourselves  in  the  sea;  then  shall  we  have 
an  inheritance  in  the  world  to  come."     The  eldest  then 

them  the  text  (Ps.  Lxviii  22),  "The  Lord  said, 

I  will  bring  again  from  Bashan;  1  will  bring  again  from 

the  depths  of  the  Bea."     "From   Bashan,"  /.<.,  from  the 

h  of  the  lion  ;  u  from  the  depths  of  the  sea,"  /.»..  those 

that  drown  themselves  in  the  Bea,     When  the  girls  heard 

explanation  they  cnped  all  together  into  the 

and  the  boys  with  alacrity  followed  their  example. 

[1  thai  Scripture  says  (Ps.  xliv. 

22  .  ••  For  thy  sake  we  are  killed  all  the  day  long;  we  are 

counl  beep  for  the  slaughter." 

GittiUj  foL  57,  coL  2. 

(>j.  I'm-  :  fnur  hundred  synagogues  in  the  city 

■  •   Byther,  in  each  there  were  four  hundred  elementary 

hers,  and  each  had  four  hundred  pupils.    When  the 
enemy   •  the  city,  they  pierced   him  with  their 

pointers;  hut  when  at  last  the  enemy  overpowered  them, 
he  wrapped  them  in  their  books  and  then  set  fire  to 
them;  and  this  is  what  is  written  (Lam.  iii.  51),  "Mine 
beth  my  heart  because  of  all  the  daughters  of  my 

Ibid.,  fol.  58,  col.  1. 

Note.-  The  total  population  of  Byther  musl  have  been  some- 
thing enormous,  when  tin1  children  in  it  amounted  to 
64,000,000!  I'll''  elementary  teachers  alone  cam*'  to 
160,000. 

6S.  Once  when   the   Ilasmonean   kings  were   engaged 

in  civil  war  it  happened  that  Hyrcanus  was  outside  Jeru- 

m  and  Aristobulus  within.     Every  day  the  besieged 

lei  down  a  box  containing  crold  denarii,  and  received  in 


246  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

return  lambs  for  the  daily  sacrifices.  There  chanced  to  be 
an  old  man  in  the  city  w]  miliar  with  tho  wisdom 

of  the  ( rreeks,  and  he  hinted  to  the  1"  siegers  in  the  ( rreek 
language  that  so  long  as  the  Temple  services  were  kept  up 
the  city  could  not  be  taken.  The  next  day  accordingly, 
when  the  money  had  been  let  down,  they  sent  back  a  pig 
in  return.  When  about  half-way  up  the  animal  pushed 
with  its  feet  agaii  I  the  wall,  and  thereupon 

an  earthquak  I  It  throughout  the  land  of  Israel  to 

the  i  I  four  hundred  miles.    At  that  time  it  was  the 

saying  arc       :  Cursed  be  he  ti  ra  swine,  and  he  who 

shall  teach  his  son  ti.  i        ..         See  Matt. 

viii.  30.)  ;',  foL  49,  col  2. 

69.  If  one  strikes  his  1  arwith  his  fist,  he  must 
pay  him  1;  if  he  slaps  his  face,  he  is  to  pay  two 
hundred  zouzim ;  but  for  a  back-handed  Blap  the  assailant 
is  to  pay  four  hundred  zouzim.     If  he  pulls  the  ear  of 

or  plucks  his  hair,  or  spits  upon  him,  or  pulls  off 
his  man!  woman's  head-d 

in  1  be  is  fined  four  hundred  zouzim. 

3    i  No,  54,  sup  ■  Karnes  foL  90,  coL  1. 

70.  There  was  oi  Rabbi  Eliezer 
and  the  Mishnic  whether  a  baking-oven,  con- 
structed from  certain  materials  and  of  a  particular  shape, 
was  clean  or  unclean.     I.                       ided  that  it  was 

a.  but  the  latter  were  of  a  contrary  opinion.  Having  re- 
plied to  all  the  objections  ti.  had  brought  against 
his  decisis  >n,  and  finding  that  they  still  refused  to  acquit 
the  Rabbi  turned  to  them  and  said, "  If  the  Halacha  (the 
law)  is  according  to  my  decision,  let  this  carol  I  est." 
Whereupon  the  carob-tree  rooted  itself  up  and  transplanted 

If  to  a  distance  of  one  hundred,  some  s&jfour  hundred, 
yards  from  the  spot.  But  the  Bages  demurred  and  said, 
•  We  cannot  admit  the  evidence  of  a  carob-tree."  "  Well, 
then/'  said  Rabbi  Eliezer,  "let  this  running  brook  be  a 


rAPTER  XII.  247 

and  the  brook  at  once  reversed  its  natural  course 
and  flowed  back.  The  sages  refused  to  admit  this  proof 
also.  "Then  let  the  walls  of  the  college  bear  witness 
that  the  Law  is  according  to  my  decision;"  upon  which 
the  wal]  ad,  and  were  about  to  fall,  when 

Rab  1  and  rebuked  them,  saying,  "  If 

the  d  3  wrangle  with  each  other  in  the 

Halacha, what  is  that  t<>  you  \  Be  ye  quiet  !"  Therefore, 
out  1  Rabbi  Joshuah,  they  did  not  fall,  and  out 

of   respect  to   Rabl  i    Eliezer  they  did  not  resume  their 
former  upright  position,  but   remained   toppling,  which 
they   continue   to   do    to    this    day.      Then  said   Rabbi 
Let  Heaven  I  ify  that  the 

Halacha  is  a  my  judgment."     And  a  Bath  Kol 

or  \  m  heaven  was  heard,  saying,  ••What  have  ye 

do  with   I:.  >bi   Eliezei  !  for  the  Balacha  is  on  every 
point  ing  to  hi  ion!"     Rabbi  Joshuah  then 

i  up  and  proved  from  Scripture  thai  even  a  voice 
from  heaven  was  aot  to  be  regarded,  "  For  Thou,  0  God, 
didsl  down  in  the  law  which  Thou  gavest 

on  Sinai  Exod.  xxiii.  2),  'Thou  shalt  follow  the  multi- 
tude.'" See  context.)  We  have  it  on  the  testimony  of 
Elijah  ;  phet,  given  to   Rabbi  Nathan  on  an  oath, 

that  it  was  with  reference  to  this  dispute  about  the  oven 
(  k>d  himself  d  and  said,  "22  OTIJU  "22  *Jin>H,  "  My 

children  have  vanquished  me!     My  children    have  van- 
quished me!"  Bava  J/>/-./</,  foL  59,  col.  1. 
N,,ri:.  -  In  ili<'  sequel  t"  the  above  we  are  told  that  all  the  Wal 
documents  of    Rabbi    Eliezer   containing   his   decisions 
ecting  things  "clean"  were   publicly  burned  with 
fire,  and  he  himself  excommunicated.     In  consequence 
this  the   whole  world   was  .-mitten  with  blight,  a 
third  in  the  olives,  a  third  in  the  barley,  and  a  third  in 
the  wheat  ;  and  the  Rabbi  himself,  though  excommuni- 
cated,   continued   to   he   held   in   the  highest  regard  in 
[sraeL 

71.  The  liaubis  said  to  Kabul  Hamnuna,  "Eav  Ami 


A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

has  written  or  copied  four  hundred  copies  of  the  law.'* 
II"  replied  to  them,  "Perhaps  only  (Deut,  xxxiii.  4) 
•M  >ses  commanded  us  a  law.'"  (He  meant  he  did  not 
imagine  that  anyone  man  could  possibly  write  ont  four 

hundred  complete  copies  of  the  Pentateuch.) 

Bava  Bathra,  foL  14,  coL  1. 

72.  Rabbi  Chanena  said,  '■  [i  four  hundred  years  al 
the  destruction  of  the  Temple  thee  a  field  worth 
a  thousand  denarii  for  one  denarius,  don't  buy  it." 

A  odah  Zarah,  fi >L  9,  coL  -. 

73.  We  know  by  tradition  that  the  treatise  "Avodah 
li,"  which  our  father  Abraham  possessed,  contained 

four  hundred  chapters,  but  tl  e  as  we  now  have  it 

contains  only  five.     (See  chap.  iii.  No.  40.  d.) 

Ibid.,  foL  14,  coL  2. 

74.  The  camp  of  Sennacherib  was  four  hundred  miles 
in  length,  fi    hedrin,  foL  95,  col.  2. 

75.  ••  I  Jurse  ye  Meroz,"  &c.  (Ju  '  \  B  rak  ex- 
communicated Merozatthel  bur  hundred  trumpets 
(lit.  horns  or  cornel                         v  evuofh,  foL  36,  coL  1. 

76.  What  is  the  meaning  where  it  is  written  Ps.  \.  27), 
"The  fear  of  the  Lord  prolongeth  days,  but  the  years 
of  the  wicked  shall  be  shortened?1  I  e  fear  of  the 
Lord  prolongeth  days"  alludes  to  the  four  hundred  and 

ten  years  the  first  Temple  stood,  during  which  period  the 
succession  of  high  priests  numbered  only  eighteen.  But 
"  the  years  of  the  wicked  shall  be  shortened"  is  illustrated 
by  the  fact  that  during  the  four  hundred  and  twenty  years 
that  the  second  Temple  stood  the  succession  of  high  priests 
numbered  more  than  three  hundred.  If  we  deduct  the 
forty  years  during  which  Shimon  the  Righteous  held 
office,  and  the  eighty  of  Rabbi  Yochanan,  and  the  ten 
of  Rabbi  Ishmael  ben  Rabbi,  it  is  evident  that  not  one  of 


CHAPTER  xir. 


-49 


the  remaining  high  priests  lived  to  hold  office  for  a  whole 
year.  Yoma,  foL  9,  col.  1. 

77.  "The  souls  which  they  had  gotten  in  Haran"  (Gen. 
xii  5).     From  this  time  to  the  giving  of  the  law  was 

•  hundred  and/oriy-i  i<j}it  ye;  1 

.1  wdah  Zarahj  foL  9,  coL  1. 

78.  A  young  girl  and  ten  of  her  maid-servants  were 
once  kidnapped,  when  a  certain  ('.entile  bought  them  and 
brought  them  to  his  house.  One  day  he  gave  a  pitcher 
to  the  child  and  bade  her  Fetch  him  water,  hut  one  of  bei 

.  ante  took  the  pitcher  from  her,  intending  to  go  instead. 
The  erving  this,  asked  the  maid  why  she  did 

s<>.     The  Bervant  replied,  "  By  the  lit'-'  of  thy  head,  my 
lord,  I  am  en.'  (<i  ip)  Less  than  fi/m   hundred  servants  of 
this  child's  mother."    The  master  was  bo  touched  that  he 
ted  them  all  their  freedom. 

Avoth  (CRab.  Nathan,  chap.  17. 

;  .    I  dd  to   Rabbi  Foshua  hen  ( lhananja, 

lis  I  Sod  of  yours  is  compared  to  a  lion,  as  it  is  written 

os  iii.  8  .  'The  lion  hath  roared,  who  will  not  fear?' 

Wherein  consists  his  excellency  \  A  horseman  kills  a 
linn."  The  Rabbi  replied,  *•  He  is  not  compared  to  an 
ordinary  lion,  but  to  a  lion  of  the  forest  Qaei."  "Show 
me  that  lion  at  once,"  said  the  Kmpemr.  "  But  thou  canst 
not  behold  him."  said  the  Rabbi.  Still  the  Emperor  in- 
1  on  seeing  the  lion;  so  the  Rabbi  prayed  to  God  to 
help  him  in  his  perplexity.  Bis  prayerwas  heard;  the 
lion  came  forth  from  his  lair  and  roared,  upon  which, 
though  it  was  four  hundred  miles  away,  all  the  walls  of 
Rome  trembled  and  fell  to  the  ground.  Approaching 
thru  hundred  miles  nearer,  he  roared  again,  and  this  time 
the  teeth  of  the  people  dropped  out  of  their  mouths  and 
the  Emperor  fell  from  his  throne  quaking.  "Alas !  liabbi, 
pray  to  thy  God  that  lie  order  the  lion  back  to  his  abode 
in  the  forest.''  Chullin,  fol.  59,  col.  2. 


250  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

N"ii:. — All  this  is  as  nothing  compared  to  the  voice  of  Judah, 
which  made  all  Egypt  quake  and  tremble,  and  Pharaoh 
fall  from  his  throne  headlong,  &c.,  &c  See  -lasher, 
chap.  64,  verses  46,  47. 

So.  The  distance  from  the  earth  t<>  the  firmament  is 
fin  hundred  years'  journey,  and  so  it  is  from  each  bui  i 
sive  firmament  to  the  next,  throughout  the  series  of  the 
seven  heavens.     (See  chap,  vii  No.  7.) 

fsachirrij  foL  94,  col  2. 

Si.  "Now,  as  I  beheld  the  living  creatures,  behold,  one 
wheel  upon  the  earth  by  the  living  creaturi  k.  i. 

15).  Rabbi  Elazarsays  it  was  an  angel  wh  1  stood  upon 
the  earth,  and  his  head  reached  to  the  living  creature.-. 
It  is  recorded  in  a  Mishna  that  his  name  is  Sandalphon, 
Mho  towers  above  his  fellow-angels  to  a  height  of  five 
hundred  years*  journey ;  he  stands  behind  the  chariot  and 
binds  ci'uu  ns  on  the  head  of  his  I 

( Tiaggigah,  fol  13,  coL  2. 
L— In  the   Liturgy  for  the    I  I    Tabernacles   it   is 

said  that  Sandalphon  gathers  in  his  hands  the  1  1 
of   Ni'ael,  and,  forming  a  wreath  of  them,  he  adjures  it 
to  ascend  as  an  orb  for  the  head  of  the  supreme   Bong 


of  k 


\U'<. 


82.  The  mount  of  the  Temple  was  five  hundred  yards 
square.  Middoth,  chap.  2. 

S3.  One  Scripture  text   (1    Chron,  xxi   25) 
David  gave  to  Oman  for  the  place  six  hundred  shekels  of 
gold  by  weight."     And  another  Scripture  (2  Sam.  xxiv. 
24)  says,"So  David  bought  the  threshing-floor  and  the 
oxen  for  tir  is  of  silver."     How  is  thisl     David 

took  from  each  tribe  fifty  shekels,  and  they  made  together 
the  total  six  hundred,  Le.t  he  took  silver  to  the  value  of 
fifty  shekels  of  gold.  Zevachim,  foL  116,  coL  2. 

84.  Rabbi  Samlai  explains  that  six  hundred  and  thirteen 
(•••mnuindments  "were  communicated  to  Moses;  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty-five  negative,  according  to  the  number  of 


CHAPTER  XII.  251 

davs  in  the  year,  and  two  hundred  and  forty-eight  positive, 
irding  to  the  number  of  members  in  the  human  body. 
Rav  Bamnunah  asked  what  was  the  Scripture  proof  for 
this.  The  reply  was  (Deut  xxxiii.  iv.),  "Moses  com- 
manded us  a  law"  (mm,  Torah).  mi/1,  by  Gematria 
answers  to  six  hundred  an. I  eleven.  "  I  am,"  and  -  Thou 
shalt  have  qo  other,"  which  we  heard  from  tin-  Almighty 
Him  c  make  up  six  hundred  and  thirteen. 

Maccoth,  fol.  23,  coL  2. 
Note. —  David,  we  are  told,  reduced  tip-''  commandments, 
here  reckoned  at  Bix  hundred  and  thirteen,  t<>  eleven, 
and  [saiah  .-till  further  to  six,  and  then  afterwards  to 
two.  "Thussaith  the  Eternal,  Observe  justice  and  act 
righteously,  for  my  salvation  is  Dear."  Finally  came 
Babakkuk,  and  he  reduced  the  number  t<»  one  all-com- 
prehensive precepl  (chap  ii.  4),  "The  just  .-hall  live 
by  faith."     (See  Maccoth,  foL  24,  coL  1.) 

85.  The  precept  concerning  fringes  is  as  weighty  as  all 
the  <»thcr  precepts  put  together;  for  it  is  written,  says 
llashi  (Num.  \\\  39  ,  "And  remember  all  the  command- 
ments of  the  Lord."  Now  the  numerical  value  of  the  word 
JT2PX,  "fringes,"  is  six  hundred,  and  this  with  eight 
threads  andy//v  knots  makes  six  lnrn<lr><l  a  ml  thirteen. 

ShevuotJij  foil  29,  col.  1. 

86.  "  For  behold,  the  Lord,  the  Lord  of  hosts,  doth  take 

away  from   Jerusalem   and    from   Judah    the   stay  and  the 

Btaff,  tin-  whole  stay  of  bread  and  the  whole  stay  of  water, 
oiighty  man  and  the  man  of  war,  the  judge  and  the 
prophet,"  &c.  [sa.  iii  1,2).  By  "  the  stay  "  is  meant  men 
mighty  in  tin-  Scriptures,  and  by  "the  staff"  men  learned 
in  the-  Mishna  ;  Buch,  for  instance,  as  Rabbi  Yeliudali  ben 
Tima  and  his  associates.  Kav  Pappa  and  the  Rabbis 
differed  as  to  the  Mishna;  the  former  said  there  were  six 
hundred  orders  of  the  Mishna,  and  the  latter  that  there 
were  seven  hundred  orders.  "The  whole  stay  of  bread" 
means  men  distinguished  in  the  Talmud;  for  it  is  said, 
"  Come,  eat  of  my  bread,  and  drink  of  the  wine  which  1 


252  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

have  mingled"  (Prov.  ix.  5).  And  "the  whole  stay  of 
water "  means  men  skilful  in  the  Hacrcradoth,  who  draw 
out  the  heart  of  man  like  water  by  means  of  a  pretty 
story  or  legend,  &c.  Chaggigahj  fol.  14,  col.  1. 

87.  There  are  seven  hundred  species  of  fish,  eight  hun- 
dred of  locusts,  twenty-four  of  birds  that  are  unclean, 
while  the  species  of  birds  that  are  clean  cannot  be  num- 
bered. Chullin,  fol.  63,  col.  2. 

88.  "The  same  was  Adino  the  Eznite,"  &c.  (2  Sam. 
xxiii.  8).  This  mighty  man  when  studying  the  law  was 
as  pliant  as  a  worm ;  but  when  engaged  in  war  he  was  as 
firm  and  unyielding  as  a  tree ;  and  when  he  discharged  an 
arrow  he  killed  eight  hundred  men  at  one  shot. 

Murd  Katon,  fol.  16,  col.  2. 

89.  "  Ye  shall  soon  utterly  perish  from  off  the  land  " 
(Deut.  iv.  26).  The  term  soon  uttered  by  the  Lord  of  the 
Universe  means  eight  hundred  and  fifty -two  years. 

Sanhedrin,  fol.  38,  coL  1. 
Xote. — This  calculation  is  based  on  the  numerical  value  of 
the  word   Dn3tT131  in  the  previous  verse,  a  word  repre- 
sented in  the  English  version  by  "And  ye  shall  have 
remained  long  "  in  the  land. 

90.  There  are  nine  hundred  and  three  sorts  of  deaths  in 
the  world  ;  for  the  expression  occurs  (Ps.  lxviii.  20),  "  Issues 
of  death."  The  numerical  value  of  JmN^IJ"),  "  issues,"  is  nine 
hundred  and  three.  The  hardest  of  all  deaths  is  by  quin- 
sey,  and  the  easiest  is  the  Divine  kiss  (of  which  Moses, 
Aaron,  and  Miriam  died).  Quinsey  is  like  the  forcible 
extraction  of  prickly  thorns  from  wool,  or  like  a  thick 
rope  drawn  through  a  small  aperture ;  the  kiss  referred 
to  is  like  the  extracting  of  a  hair  from  milk.  (See  Note 
on  p.  102,  supra.)  Berachoth,  fol.  8,  col.  j. 

91.  When  Moses  went  up  on  high,  the  ministering 
angels  asked,  "  What  has  one  born  of  a  woman  to  do 
among  us  ? "     "  He  has  come  to  receive  the  law,"  was  the 


CHAPTER  XII.  253 

Divine  answer.  "  "What !  "  they  remonstrated  again,  "  that 
cherished  treasure  which  has  lain  with  Thee  for  nine  hun- 
dred and  seventy-four  generations  before  the  world  was 
created,  art  Thou  about  to  bestow  it  upon  flesh  and  blood  ? 
What  is  mortal  man  that  Thou  art  mindful  of  him,  and 
the  son  of  earth  that  Thou  thus  visitest  him  ?  0  Lord  ! 
our  Lord  !  is  not  Thy  name  already  sufficiently  exalted  in 
the  earth  ?  Confer  Thy  glory  upon  the  heavens  "  (Ps.  viii. 
4,  6).  The  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! — then  called  upon 
Moses  to  refute  the  objection  of  the  envious  angels.  "  I 
fear,"  pleaded  he,  "  lest  they  consume  me  with  the  fiery 
breath  of  their  mouth."  Thereupon,  by  way  of  protection, 
he  was  bid  approach  and  lay  hold  of  the  throne  of  God ; 
as  it  is  said  (Job  xxvi.  9),  "  He  lays  hold  of  the  face  of 
His  throne  and  spreads  His  cloud  over  him."  Thus  en- 
couraged, Moses  went  over  the  Decalogue,  and  demanded 
of  the  angels  whether  they  had  suffered  an  Egyptian 
bondage  and  dwelt  among  idolatrous  nations,  so  as  to  re- 
quire the  first  commandment;  or  were  they  so  hardworked 
as  to  need  a  day  of  rest,  &c,  &c.  Then  the  angels  at  once 
confessed  that  they  were  wrong  in  seeking  to  withhold 
the  law  from  Israel,  and  they  then  repeated  the  words, 
"  0  Lord,  how  excellent  is  Thy  name  in  all  the  earth ! " 
(Ps.  viii.  9),  omitting  the  words,  "  Confer  Thy  glory  upon 
the  heavens."  And  not  only  so,  but  they  positively  be- 
friended Moses,  and  each  of  them  revealed  to  him  some 
useful  secret;  as  it  is  said  (Ps.  lxviii.  18),  "Thou  hast 
ascended  on  high,  thou  hast  captured  spoil,  thou  hast 
received  gifts ;  because  they  have  contemptuously  called 
thee  man."  Shabbath,  fol.  88,  col.  2. 

92.  Nine  hundred  and  seventy-four  generations  before 
the  world  was  created  the  law  was  written  and  deposited 
in  the  bosom  of  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — and  sang 
praises  with  the  ministering  angels. 

Avoth  d'Rab.  Nathan,  chap.  31. 
Note. — In  an  Haggadah  we  are  told  that  the  law  dates  back 
to  two  thousand  years  before  the  foundation  of  the  world. 


254  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY* 

93.  If  one  is  sick  and  at  the  point  of  death,  he  is  ex- 

ed  to  confess,  for  all  confess  who  are  about  to  suffer 

Last   penalty  of  the  law.     When  a  man  goes  to  the 

market-place,  let  him  consider  himself  as  handed  over  to 

the  custody  of  the  officers  of  judgment.     If  he   has  a 

headache,  let  him  deem  himself  fastened  with  a  chain  by 

neck.     If  confined  to  his  bed,  let  him  regard  himself 

as  mounting  the  steps  to  be  judged  ;  for  when  this  happens 

to  him,  he  is  Baved  from  death  only  if  he  have  competent 

repentance  and  good 
works.  And  if  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  "plead  against 
him,  and  only  one  for  him,  he  as  it  is  said  (Job 

xxxiii.  23),  "  li  there  be  an  interceding  angel,  one  among 
a  thousand  I  re  for  man  his  uprightness,  then  Be  is 

gracious  unto  him  and  Baitb,  Deliver  him  from  g  - i  1 1  '_r  down 
to  the  pi  Shabbaihy  fol.  32,  coL  1. 


55 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 

TALMUDIC    M'MUKIis.    RANGING    FROM    'ONE  THOUSAND' 
TO   '  MILLIONS.' 

i.  When  Solomon  married  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh,  she 

introduced  to  him  "  thousand  different  kinds  of  musical 

truments,  and  taught  him  the  chants  to  the  various 

Shabbath,  foL  56,  col.  2. 

2.  When  Buneis,  the  s<>n  of  Buneis,  called  on  Rabbi 
(the  Holy),  tin'  latter  exclaimed,  "  Make  way  for  one  worth 
a  hundred  manahs!"  Presently  another  visitor  came, 
and  Rabbi  said.  "  Make  way  for  one  worth  two  hundred 
manahs."  Upon  which  Rabbi  Eshmael,  the  son  of  Iiabhi 
^  -i,  remonstrated,  saying,  u  Rabbi,  the  father  of  the  first- 
comer,  owns  a  thousand  ships  at  sea  and  a  thousand  towns 
ashore!"  "Well,"  replied  Rabbi,  "when  thou  seest  his 
father,  tell  him  to  send  his  son  better  clad  next  time." 
Rabbi  paid  great  respect  to  those  that  were  rich,  and  so 
did  Rabbi  Akiva.  Mrumr^  fol.  S6,  col.  1. 

3.  Rabbi  Elazer  ben  Charsom  inherited  from  his  father 
a  thousand  towns  and  a  thousand  ships,  and  yet  he  went 
about  with  a  Leather  sack  of  Hour  at  his  hack,  roaming 
from  town  to  town  and  from  province  to  province  in  order 
to  study  the  law.  This  great  Rabbi  never  once  set  eye  on 
his  immense  patrimony,  for  he  was  engaged  in  the  study 
of  the  law  all  day  and  all  night  long.  And  so  strange 
was  he  to  his  own  servants,  that  they,  on  one  occasion,  not 
knowing  who  he  was,  pressed  him  against  his  will  to  do  a 


256  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

day's  work  as  a  menial ;  and  though  he  pled  with  them  as  a 
Buppliant  i"  be  Left  a  pursue  his  Btudies  in  the  law, 

they  refused,  and  sv  ping,  "  By  the  life  of  Rabbi 

Blazer  ben  Charsom,  our  master,  we  will  not  let  tin- 
till   thy  task   is  completed."      Be   then  let   himself  be 
enforced  rather  than  make  himself  known  to  them.      -    • 
\      :  ling  to  tlir  Talmud,"  p.  200, 
NTo.  21.)  TomOt  foL  35,  coL  2. 

4.  The   wii     of    Potiph  c       1x1  I  J<   eph  with  loving 

Is,    but     in    vain.       SI  8    thru    thivat.ai.-il    to    immure 

him  in  prison,  but  he  replied  (anticipating  J's.  cxlvi  7), 
•'The  Lord  iooseth  the  prisoners."     Then  "  I  will 

bow  thee  down  with  distress;  I  will  blind  thine  c 
11  •  only  ansv  ver.  8  .  "  The  Lord  openeth  the 

eyes  of  the  Mind  an  them  that  are  bowed  down." 

then  tried  t  1  bribe  him  with  a  thousand  talents  of 
silver  if  he  would  comply  with  b  in. 

/    I 

Note.     A    M  us  thai    Potiphar's  wife  not  only 

falsely  accused  Joseph  herself,  but  that  si  orned 

ads  to  do  likewise.  The 
Jasher,  which  embodies  the  Talmudic 
quoted  above,  b  11-  us  thai  an  infant  in  the  cradle  spoke 
up  and  testified  to  Joseph's  innocence,  and  that  while 
ph  was  in  prison  his  inamorata  daily  visited  him. 
More  «.n  this  topic  may  be  found  in  the  Koran,  chap.  xii. 
The  :  and  Zulieka,  as  told  by  the  glib 

tongue  of  tradition,   fitly  find  their  consummation   in 
marriage,  and  certain  Moslems  affect  t«.  see  in  all  this  an 
allegorical  type  of  Divine  love,  an  allegory  which 
other  divines  find  in  the  S 

5.  The  thickness  of  the  earth  is  a  thousand  paces  or 

ells.  -     •  >/,,  foL  53,  col  2. 

Note. — The  the  earth  as  far  as  the  abyss  is  a  thousand 

ells,  and  the  abyss  under  the  earth  is  fifteen  thousand. 

There   is   an   upper   and  a  lower  abyss   mention.'. 1   in 

Taanith,  foL  25,  coL  2.     Riddia,  the  angel  who  has  the 

imand  of  the  waters,  and  resides  between  the  two 


CHAPTER  XII 1.  257 

abya  to  the  upper,  -p»o  -ivjti,   "disperse  thy 

waters,"  and  to  the  lower,  pnDJDK,   ulet  thy  waters 
flow  up." 

'  Many  may  ask  after  thy  peace,  but  tell  thy  secret 
only  to  one  of  a  thousand.  Yevamoth,  foL  63,  col.  2. 

7.  The  Rabbis  have  taught  that  if  the  value  of  stolen 
property  is  a  thousand,  and  the  thief  is  only  worth,  say, 
five  hundred,  he  La  to  be  Bold  into  slavery  twice.  But  if 
the  I-  to  be  sold  at  all. 

Kiddushirif  foL  18,  col.  2. 

8.  The  Behemoth  upon  a  thousand  hills  (Ps.  1.  10),  God 
created  them  male  and  female,  but  had  they  been  allowed 
to  propagate  they  would  have  destroyed  the  whole  world. 
What  did  He  do  1  Ee  castrated  the  male  and  spayed  the 
female,  and  then  preserved  them  that  they  might  serve  for 
the  righteous  at  the  Messianic  banquet;  as  it  is  said  (Job 
.\1.  [6),  "Hi  bh  is  in  his  loins  (i.e.,  the  male),  and 
his  force  in  the  navel  of  his  belly"  (i.e.,  the  female).     (See 

\  cording  to  the  Talmud,"  p.  58,  ver.  21,  ii.) 
Bava  Bathra,  fol  74,  col.  2. 

Note.-  This  provision  for  the  coming  Messianic  banquet  is 
considered  of  sufficient  importance  to  be  mentioned  year 
after  year  in  the  service  for  the  Day  of  Atonement  and 
also  al  the  Feasl  of  Tabernacles.  The  remark  of  1). 
Levi,  that  the  feasl  here  referred  to  is  to  be  understood 
allegorically,  involves  rather  sweeping  consequences,  as  it 
11  i"  any  one  to  annihilate  many  other  expectations 
on  the  same  principle. 

<>.  The  Holy  One— blessed  be  He!— will  add  to  Jeru- 
m  gardens  extending  to  a  thousand  times  the  nume- 
rical value  of  *)BO,  which  equals  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
nine,  &c.  Ibid-,  foh  75 »  co1-  2- 
NOTE. — The  above  is  a  Rabbinical  estimate  of  the  extent  of 
the  Messianic  Jerusalem. 

10.  "Moreover   Manasseh    shed   innocent  blood   very 

R 


253  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

much "  (2  Kings  xxi.  16).  Here  (in  Babylon)  it  is  inter- 
preted to  mean  that  he  murdered  Isaiah,  but  in  the  W< 
(i.e.t  in  Palestine)  they  say  thai  he  made  an  Image  of  the 
weight  of  a  thousand  men,  which  was  the  number  he 
massacred  every  day  (as  Rashi  says,  by  the  heaviness  of 
its  weight).  Sank  lrin%  fol  103,  coL  2. 

Nora— (a.)  See  Joeephns,  Antiq.,  B    &  X.  chap,  iii,  sec  i,foi 
corroborative  evidence.     Tradition  .-ays  that    Mao 
caused  Isaiah  to  be  .-awn  asunder  with  a  wooden  saw. 
[so  Yeva         .  :  1.  49,  coL  2  ;  Sanhedrin,  fol.  103, 
c  1  2. ) 

(/>.)  Nowhere  in  the  Talmud  do  we  find  the  name  of 
the  great  ima  :'•  rred  to.     What  it"  we  christen  it 

the  ••  rat  of  tip-  Talmud"1     May  the  tradition 

not  be  a  prolusion  thai  man-crushing  mon- 

Anyhow,  Bchol  ire  are  1  community  of 

no  inconsiderable  extent   between  the  conceptions  and 
ids  of  the  II  L  Rabbis.     « >ne  notable 

at   and  that  of 

the  Hindoos  is,  that  whereas  in  both  cases  the  innocent 

suffered  for  the  guilty,  in  tin-  former  the  sacrifices  were 

bed  to  propiti  l1  .  while  in  the  latter  they  were 

in  supposed  propitiation  of  the  .■ 

t  i.  The  .  osumed  by  <  >_r.  king   oi    B 

many  of  all   e 
other  beasts,  and  his  drink  consisted  "t"  n  thousand 
measi  1  -imt  chap.  21,  mish  9. 

12.  Solomon  made  ten  candelabra  for  the  Tempi 
cadi  la'  Bet   aside  a  thousand  1  I  gold,  which  lie 
refined  in  a  crucible  until  they  were  re  luced  t<»  the  weight 
of  one  talent                               Menachoth,  fol  29,  coL  1. 

13.  There  was  an  organ  in  the  Temple  which  produced 
a  thousand  kinds  of  melody.  /.    thin,  f oL  n,  coL  1. 

Note. — Tin'  Magrepha  (n^n;^),  with  its  ten  pipes  and  its 

ten-times-ten  various  notes  (Eirchin,  fol.  10,  coL  2,  and 

foL  ii.  col  1),  which  was  .-aid  t"  have  been  used  in  the 

Temple   service,    must    have    been   an    instrument   far 

rior  to  any  organ  in  use  at  the  time  elsewhere. 


CHAPTER  XIII.  259 

14.  It  from  a  town  numbering  fifteen  hundred  footmen, 
b,  forexamp]  of  Accho,  nine  people  be 

borne  forth  dead  in  the  course  of  three  successive  days, 
it  is  a  sure  si_n  of  the  presence  of  the  plague;  but  if  this 
happen  in  y  or  in  four,  then  it  is  not  the  plague. 

I' Klin  tit,    foL    21,   COL    I. 

15.  •  himdred  of  the  arguments  and  minute 
rules  of  the  -  were  forgotten  during  the  days  of 
mourning  for  M  Othniel,  the  son  of  Kenaz,  by  his 

.  them  all  as  if  they  had  never 
d  i'mm  the  memory.  T  nurah,  foL  16,  col.  1. 

16.  There  was  a  great  court  at  Jerusalem  called  Beth 
V  izek,  where  all  witnesses  (who  could  testify  to  the 
time  of  the  appearac  •  now  moon  I  used  to  assemble, 
and  where  they  were  examined  by  the  authorities.    Grand 

prepared  for  them  as  an  inducement  to  them 

;  give  In  their  testimony  .     Formerly  they  did 

not  move  from  the  place  they  happened  to  be  in  when 

overtaken  by  the  Sabbath,  but  Rabbon  Gamliel  the  elder 

ined  thai  they  might  in  that  case  move  two  thousand 

cubits  either  way.  Bosh  Hashanah,  foL  21,  col.  2. 

17.  He  that  La  abroad  (on  the  Sabbath)  and  does  not 
know  the  limit  of  the  Sabbath-day's  journey  may  walk 
two  thousand  moderate  paces,  and  that  is  a  Sabbath-day's 
journey.  Eiruvin,  foL  42,  col.  1. 

18.  Rabbon  Gamliel  had  a  hollow  tube,  through  which, 
when  he  looked,  he  could  distinguish  a  distance  of  two 
thousand  cubits,  whether  by  land  or  sea.  By  the  same 
tube  he  could  ascertain  the  depth  of  a  valley  or  the  height 
of  a  palm-tree.  Ibid.,  fol.  43,  col.  2. 

Notb. — This  is  one  evidence  among  several  of  the  scientific 
an. I  mechanical  ingenuity  of  this  Rabbi  The  instru- 
ment here  introduced  must  have  been  some  rude  antici- 
pation of  our  modern  theodolite. 


26o  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

19.  He  who  observes  carefully  the  pi  oting 
fringes  will,  as  a  reward,  have  two  thousand  eight  hundred 
slaves  to  wait  upon  him;  for  it  is  Baid  Zech.  viii  2 
"'Jims  Baith  the  Lord  of  hosts;  In  those  days  it  shall 
come  to  pass  thai  ten  men  shall  take  hold  out  of  all 
languages  of  the  nations,  even  shall  take  hold  of  the  skirt 
of  him  that  is  a  Jew,  saying,  We  will  lt«>  with  you,  for  we 
have  heard  that  God  is  with  you." 

S    ibbathj  foL  32,  coL  2. 

Note.  (■'.  \  Rashi'e  explanation  <'f  thia  matter  is  very  Bimple. 
The  meril  of  the  fringes  Lies  in  their  being  duly  attached 
to  "  the  four  quarters  "  or  Bkirta  of  the  garments  ( 1  tent 
xxii.  1 2).  There  are  seventy  nations  in  the  whole  world, 
and  ten  of  each  nation  will  take  hold  of  each  corner  of 
the  garment,  which  gives  70   •    10   •  d.     Rabbi 

B'chai,  commenting  od  Num.  w.  39,  40.  repeats  the 
Bame  Btory  almost  word  for  word 

{!>.)  Tic  (Zech  viii  23)  has  lately  been  con- 

strued by  Borne  into  a  prophecy  of  the  recenl  Berlin 
Congress,  and  the  ten  men  mentioned  are  found  in  the 
representatives  of  the  contracting  j  .  England, 

France,  Germany,  Turk    .  K.  ..  Italy,  (. 

Roumania,  and  Servia. 

20.  Rav  Hamnunah  said,  "What   ia  it  thai  is  written 
1  Kings  i\.  32  .  ■  And  he  spoke  I  \  r  iverhs, 

and  his  Bongs  were  a  thousand  andfi  It  is  intended 

to  teach  that  Solomon  uttered  thru  thousand  proverhs 
upon  each  ai  word  of  the  law,  and  for  every  word 

of  the  Scribes  he  1  and  andfiix  reasons. 

Eiruvin,  foL  21,  coL  2. 

21.  AVlan  Rabbi    Eliezer  was  sick  he  was  visited  by 
hi   Akiva  and  his   party.  .  .  .  "Wherefore  have  ye 

come  ? "  he  asked.  "  To  learn  the  law,"  was  the  reply. 
"And  why  did  you  not  come  sooner?"  "Because  we 
had  no  leisure,"  said  they.  "  I  shall  be  much  surprised," 
said  he,  "  if  you  die  a  natural  death."  Then  turning  to 
»hi  Akiva  he  said,  *  Thy  death  shall  be  the  worst  of 
all"  (see  how  his  words  came  to  pass  on  page   2,  No. 


CHAPTER  XIII.  26 1 

4,  supra).  Then  folding  his  arms  upon  his  breast,  he 
Laimed : — w Woe  unto  my  two  arms!  for  they  are  like 
two  scrolls  of  the  law  rolled  up,  bo  that  their  contents  are 
hidden,  Ead  they  waited  upon  me,  they  might  have 
added  much  to  their  knowledge  of  the  law,  but  now  that 
knowledge  will  perish  with  me.  J  have  in  my  time 
much  and  taught  much,  and  yet  I  have  no  more 
dim  the  knowledge  of  my  Rabbis  by  what  [have 

derived  from  them  than  the  waters  of  the  sea  are  reduced 
by  a  dog  lapping  them.  Over  and  above  this  I  expounded 
three  hn    i  >me  allege  he  said  three  thousand,  "  Hala- 

chahs  with  reference  to  the  growing  of  Egyptian  cucum- 
bers, and  cept  Akiva  ben  Joseph  has  ever 
proposed  a  single  question  to  me  respecting  them.  He  and 
I  were  walking  along  the  road  one  day  when  he  asked 
me  to  instruct  him  regarding  the  cultivation  of  Egyptian 
cucumbers.  I  made  but  one  remark,  when  the  entire 
field  became  full  of  them.  Then  at  his  request  I  made 
a  remark  about  cutting  them,  when  lo!  they  all  collected 
themseh             ther  in  one  spot."    Thus  Rabbi  Eliezer 

On    talking,  when  all   of   a  sudden   he   fell    hark  and 

expired.  Sanhedrin,  foL  68,  col.  1. 

N<>ii:.  — Til-'  last   words   <>f,  tin-   eminent   Rabbi    derive  .1 

■  interesl  from  tip'  fact  that  he  died  while  under 

sentence  of  excommunication.   (See  p.  246.  No.  jOfSupra.) 

22.  Three  thousand  Ilalachoth  were  forgotten  at  the 
time  of  mourning  for  Moses,  and  among  them  the  Hala- 
chah  respecting  an  animal  intended  for  a  sin-offering  the 
owner  of  which  died  icrificing  it. 

/   nurah,  fol.  16,  col.  1. 

23.  All  the-  prophets  were  rich  men.  This  we  infer 
from  the  account  of  Moses,  Samuel,  Amos,  and  Jonah. 
Of  Moses,  as  it  is  written  (Num.  xvi.  15),  "I  have  not 
taken  mie  ass  from  them."  Of  Samuel,  as  it  is  written 
(1  Sam.  xii.  3),  "  Behold,  here  I  am;  witness  against  me 
before  the  Lord,  and  before  His  anointed,  whose  ox  have 


A    TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

I  taken?  orwh  have  I  taken?"    Of  A-      ,  as  it 

is  written  (Amos  vii.  14),"!  was  an  herdsman  and  a 
gatherer  of  sycamore  fruit."  /.<.,  I  am  proprietor  of  my 
herds  and  own  Bycamores  in  the  valli  y,  I  >f  Jonah,  as  it 
is  written  (Jonah  i.  3),  "So  he  paid  the  fare  thereof  and 
went  down  into  it"  Rabbi  Xochanan  says  he  hired  the 
whole  ship.  Rabbi  Rumanus  says  the  hire  of  the  ship 
amounted  too  four  thou  u  irii 

Ned        .  i  ■!.  38,  coL  1. 

24.  Four  thousand  two  hund  I  thirty-one   years 
after  the  creation  of  the  world,  if  any  on 

b  a  thousand  denarii,  do 

buy  it.  J  ■/<///  Zarahf  foL  9.  col  2. 

. — Rash]  gives  this  a&  the  n  ason  of  the  prohibition  :  For 
then  •  their  own  land  h  ill 

take  place,  bo  that  the  denarius  paid   for  a  field  in  a 
foreign  Land  would  be  money  thrown  away. 

25.  /'     •   '  two  ■  ■        I  ninety-one  years 

aft-  1    '  56ns 

and  ■  1        and  M  ig  1  w  ill  and  the  1 

of  the  time  will  be  I  ya  of  the  Mi   siah;  and 

Boly  One — bl<  3sed  be  1!  ' — will  not  renew  Bis  world  till 
after  seven  thousand  years.  .  .  .  Rabbi  Jonathan  said, 
•May  the  I  those  who  compute  the  Latter  days 

(when  t]  ah  shall  appear)  be  blown;  for  some  Bay, 

•  B     ins     the  time  (of  Messiah  tnd    Himself 

lias  •  refore  He  will  q<  But  wait  thou 

for  Him,  as  it  is  said  (Hab.  ii  3  ,  'Though  He  tarry, 
wait  for  Him.'  Perha]  -  yon  will  say.  '  We  wait,  but  He 
does  not  wait ; '  learn  rather  to  £  I-  .  xxx.  18),  'And 
ill  the  Lord  wait,  that  He  may  be  gracious 
unto  you  :  and  therefore  will  He  be  exalted,  that  He  may 
have  meivy  upon  you/"  9     hedrin,  foL  97,  coL  2. 

26.  It  is  related  of  Rabbi  Tarphon  (probably  the  Tryphon 

olemic  fame)  that  he  was  very  rich,  but  gave  nothing 


CHAPTER  XIII.  263 

the  poor.    Once  Rabbi  Akiva  met  him  and  said,  "Rabbi, 

•  thou  wish  nit'  to  purchase  for  thee  a  town  or  two  ?" 

"  I  do,"  said  he,  and  at  once  gave  him  four  thousand  gold 

denarii     Rabbi  Akiva  took  this  sum  ami  distributed  it 

among  the  poor.     Some  tin.  Rabbi  Tarphon  met 

Rabbi  Akiva  ami  said,  "Where  are  the  towns  thou  pur- 

i  n  me  \ "    The  Latter  seized  hold  of  him  by  the 

arm  and  Led  him  to  the.  Beth  Hamedrash,  where,  takins 

up  a  psalter,  they  read  together  till  they  came  to  this 

Be  hath  dispersed,  he  hath  given  to  the  poor,  his 

righteou  ndureth  for  ever"  (Ps.  exii  9).  Here  Rabbi 

Akiva  paused  and  .said,  "  This  is  the  place  I  purchased  for 

thee,"  and  Rabbi  Tarphon  saluted  him  with  a  kiss. 

Trad,  Calldh. 

27.  bateuch  contains  five  thousand  ii<//<{  hundred 

The  Psalms  have  eight  verses 
sn,  and  the  Chronicles  eight  verses  short  of,  that 
number.  Kiddnshin,  foL  30,  col.  1. 

Note. — The  number  of  verses  in  tin-  Pentateuch  is  usually 

1  at  5845,  the  mnemonic  siurn  <>f  which  is  the  word 

-•;  -n  in  l.siiah  xxx.    26,   the  letters  of  which  stand  for 

5845.     The   verse  reads,  M  Moreover,  the  light  of  the 

moon  shall  be  ae  the  Light  of  the  sun"  (nonn).     The 

rites  teU  us  thai  the  number  of  verses  in  the  Psaluis 

ml  in  the  two  Books  <>f  Chronicles  1656. 

28.  Tho  world  is  to  last  six  thousand  years.  Two 
thousand  of  these  are  termed  the  period  of  disorder,  two 
tJvousand  belong  to  the  dispensation  of  the  law,  and  two 
thousand  are  the  days  of  the  Messiah;  but  because  of  our 
iniquities  a  large  traction  of  the  latter  term  is  already 

ed   and  gone   without  the  Messiah  giving  any  sign 
of  His  appearing.  Sanhednn^  foL  97,  col.  1. 

29.  As  the  land  of  Canaan  had  one  year  of  release  in 
seven,  so  has  the  world  one  millennium  of  release  in  seven 
thousand  years;  for  it  is  said  (Isa.  ii.  17),  "And  the  Lord 
alone  will  be  exalted  in  that  day;"  and  again  (Ps.  xcii.  1), 


264  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

'  A  psalm  or  Bong  for  the  Sabbath-day,"  which  means  a 
long  Sabbatic  period;  and  again     Ps.  i  ;.  4  .  "  For  a  thou- 
sand years  in  Thy  Bight  are  but  as  (7TD/W  DV)  the  day  of 
:  lay."  s     hedrin,  foL  97,  col  1. 

30.  Tradition  records  that  the  ladder  (mentioned  Gen. 
xxviii  12)  was  eight  thousand  miles  wide,  for  it  is  written. 

And  behold  the  angels  of  I  rod  ascending  and  descending 
upon  it."     Angi  I  :n-_r.  being  in  the  plural,  cannot 

be  fewer  than  tw  time,  and  bo  likewise  must  ti. 

descending,  bo  that  when  they  passed  they  were  four 
abreast  at  least  In  Daniel  x.  6  it  is  said  of  the  angel, 
"  Eis  body  was  like  Tarshish,"  and  I  tory  that 

Tarshish  extended  two  thousand  miles. 

'        ''//,  foL  91,  coL  2. 

31.  The  tithes  from  the  herds  of  Elazer  ben  Azaryah 
amounted  to  twelve  thousand  calves  annually. 

Sh  L  54,  coL  2. 

32.  It  is  said  that  Rabbi  Akiva  ha  I  thousand 
pairs  of  disciples  dispersed  aboi  n  Gabbath  and 
Antipatris,  and  nil  of  them  died  within  a  Bhort  period 
because  they  paid  do  honour  to  one  another.  The  land 
was  then  di  ontil  Rabbi  Akiva  came  among  our 
Rabbis  of  the  south  and  taught  the  law  to  Rabbis  Meir, 
Yehudah,  Yossi,  Shimon,  and  Elazer  ben  Shamua,  who 

Lished  its  authority.  )    wnoth,  foL  26,  coL  2. 

33.  After  a  lapse  of  twelve  j  •  returned  accom- 
panied  by  twelve  thousand  disciples       .     8      ante,  chap.  xi. 

N".  14,  note.) 

34.  Ravah  bar  Nachmaini  was  impeached  for  depriving 
the  revenue  of  the  poll-tax  on  twelve  thousand  Jews,  b\ 

detaining  them  annually  at  his  academy  for  one  month 
in  the  spring,  and  for  another  month  in  the  autumn;  for 
great  multitudes  from  various  parts  of  the  country  were 


CHAPTER  XIII.  265 

wont,  at  the  two  Beasons  of  the  Passover  and  the  Feast  of 
I  rna  les,  to  come  to  hear  him  preach,  so  that  when  the 
king's  officers  came  to  collect  the  taxes  they  found  none 
of  them  at  home,  A  royal  messenger  was  accordingly 
despatched  to  apprehend  him,  but  he  failed  to  find  him, 
for  the  Rabbi  fled  to  Pumbeditha,  and  from  thence  to 
to  Agmi,  Sichin,  Zeripha,  Ein  d'Maya,  and  hack 
again  to  Pumbeditha  Arrived  at  this  place,  both  the  royal 
enger  and  the  fugitive  Rabbi  happened  to  put  up 
at  thf  Bame  inn.  Two  cups  were  placed  before  the  former 
<»n  a  table,  when,  strange  to  er  he  had  drunk  and 

the  table  was  removed,  his  face  was  forcibly  turned  round 
to  his  hack.  (This  was  dun,'  by  evil  spirits  because  he 
drank  even  numbers — rn^nt,  pairs — against  which  we  are 
earn  .  in  P'sachim,  f ol.  no,  col.  1.)    The  inn- 

og  the  consequences  of  such  a  misfortune 
hap:  ■  1  so  high  an  official  at  his  inn,  sought  advice 

of  the  lurking  Rabbi,  when  the  Latter  suggested  that  the 
table  be  placed  again  before  him  with  one  cup  only 
on  it,  and  thus  the  even  number  would  hecome  odd,  and 
his  fare  would  return  to  its  natural  position.  They  did 
and  it  was  as  the  Rabbi  had  said.  The  official  then 
remarked  to  his  host,  "  I  know  the  man  I  want  is  here," 
and  he  hastened  and  found  him.  "  If  I  knew  for  certain," 
rid  to  the  Rabbi,  M  thai  thy  escape  would  cost  my  life 
»>nlv.  I  would  let  thee  go,  but  I  fear  bodily  torture,  and 
therefore  I  must  secure  thee."  And  thereupon  he  locked 
him  up.  Upon  this  the  Rabbi  prayed,  till  the  prison  walls 
miraculously  giving  way;  lie  made  his  escape  to  Agma, 
where  he  seated  himself  at  the  root  of  a  tree  and  gave 
himself  up  to  meditation.  Whilst  thus  engaged  he  all  at 
once  heard  a  discussion  in  the  academy  of  heaven  on  the 
Bubject  of  the  hair  mentioned  in  Lev.  xiii.  25.  The 
Holy  One  —  blessed  be  He! — declared  the  case  to  be 
"  clean,"  but  the  whole  academy  were  of  a  different 
opinion,  and  declared  the  case  to  be  "unclean."     The 


266  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

question  then  arose,  MWho  shall  decide  :"  u  Ravah  bar 
Nachmaini  shall  decide/'  was  the  unanimous  reply,  "for 
he  said,  lI  am  one  in  matters  of  Leprosy;  I  am  one  in 
questions  about  tents;  and  there  is  none  to  equal  d 

age!  of  death  was  Bent  for  to  bring  him  up,  but 
he  was  unable  to  approach  him,  I  I   ibbi'a  lips 

repeating  the  law  of  the  Lord.     The  angel  of 
death  thereupon  assumed  the  appearance  of  a  tax  p  of 
by,  and  the  Rabbi,  apprehensive  of  being  seized  and 
carri  timed,  "  I  would  rather  die  through  that 

one  (meaning  the  angel  of  death)  than  be  delivered  into 

At  that  very  instant  he 
was  •  the  question  in  dispute,  and  just 

the  verdi  led  from   his   lips   his   soul 

i  from   his   body,  and  a  voi  heard  from 

heaven  proclaiming,  "  Blessed  art  thou,  Ravah  bar  Nach- 
maini, for  thy  body  is  clean.  'Clean'  -  I  on 
thy  lips  when  thy  spirit  departed."  Then  a  scroll  fell 
down  from  unto  Pumbeditha  announcing  that 
Ravah  bar  Nachmaini  was  admitted  into  the  academy  of 
heaven.  A]  Lbaii,  in  company  with  m 
other  Rabbis,  went  in  search  of  the  body  to  inter  it,  but  not 
kiiov.                              he  lay,  they  went  to  Agma,  where 

i  of  birds  hovering  in  the  air, 
ami  concluded  that  the  shadow  of  their  wings  shielded 
the  body  of  the  departed.     Ti.  lordingly,  they  found 

and  buried  him;  and  after  mourning  three  days  and  ti 
nights  over  b  .  they  arose  to  depart,  when  another 

scroll  descended  threatening  them  with  excommunication  if 
they  did  so.    They  therefore  continued  mourning  for  seven 

a  and  seven  nights,  when,  at  the  end  of  these,  a  third 
scroll  descended  and  bade  them  go  home  in  peace.  On 
the  day  of  the  death  of  this  Rabbi  there  arose,  it  is  said, 
such  a  mighty  tempest  in  the  air  that  an  Arab  merchant 
and  the  camel  on  which  lie  was  riding  were  blown  bodily 
over  from  one  side  of  the  river  Pappa  to  the  other.    "  What 


AFTER  XIIL  267 

Deth  such  B  storm  as  this?"  cried  the  merchant,  as 
he  lay  00  the  ground  A  voice  from  heaven  answered, 
"  Ravah  bar  Nachmaini  is  dead."  Then  he  prayed  and 
pled,  "  Lord  of  the  universe,  the  whole  world  is  Thine, 
and  Ravah  bar  Nachmaini  La  Thine!  Thou  art  Ravah's 
and  Ravah  is  Thine;  but  wherefore  wilt  thou  destroy  the 
world?"  On  this  the  storm  immediately  abated,  and 
there  was  dm.  Ba  ■•  Meteia,  foL  86,  col  1. 

bl— The  above  Beema  t<>  be  a  Rabbinical  Batire  on  tin; 
Talmud  itself,  although  the  orthodox  Jewa  believe  thai 
every  word  in  it  is  historically  true.     Well,  perhaps  it 
• ;  and  a'.  aorant,  and  without  the 

meana  of  judging. 

35.  Now  we  know  what  Hod  docs  during  the  day  (see 
chap.  xi.   N       ;         at  how  d        Be  occupy  Bimself  in 

it-time?     We  may  say  He  <\>»>  the  same  as  at 

:•  that  during  the  night  He  rides  on  a  swift 

cherub  over  eighteen   thousand  worlds;  as  it  is  said  (Ps. 

lxviii.    17),  •  mots  of  God  are  twenty  thousand" 

two  thousand  Shinan;  read  not  Shinan  hut  She-einan 

Ifttti  N^N  ]H2p  np/1  ba),  /.<..  two  thousand  less  titan  twenty 

and,  therefore  eighteen  thousand. 

\dah  Zarah,  foL  3,  col.  2. 

36.  Prince  Contrukoa  asked  Rabhon  Yochanan  ben  Zac- 

chai  how,  when  the  I  enumeration  of  the  Levites 

amounted  to  twenty-two  thousand  three  hundred  (the  Ger- 
ahonites,  7500;  the  Kohathites,  8600;  the  Merarites, 
6200,  making  in  all  22.300),  the  sum  total  given  is  only 
twenty-two  thousand,  omitting  the  three  hundred*  "Was 
our  Rabbi,"  he  asked,  "  a  cheat  or  a  bad  calcula- 
tor?" 1I»'  answered, " They  were  iirst-borns,  and  there- 
fore could  nut  he  substitutes  for  the  first-born  of  Israel." 

JJechoroth,  fol.  5,  col.  1. 

^y.  "  And  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  did  him  honour 
at   his  death"   (2  Chron.  xxxii.   33).     This  is  Hezekiah, 


A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY, 

king  of  Judah,  at  whose  funeral  thirty-six  thousand  people 
attended  bare-shouldered,  .  .  .  and  upon  his  bier  was  laid 

a  roll  of  ill*-'  law,  and  it  was  said,  "This  man  has  fulfilled 
what  is  written  in  this  book." 

8       S    "',  foL  1 7,  coL  1. 

Sennacherib  the  wicked  invaded  Jewry)  with 
forty-five  thousand  princes  in  golden  c  ironets,  and  they 
had  with  them  their  wivea  and  odalisques;  also  eighty 
thousand  mighty  men  dad  in  mail  and  sixty  thousand 
Bwordsmeu  rau  before  him,  and   the  n  cavalry. 

\\  ith  a  similar  army  th<  against   Abraham,  and  a 

like  force  is  to  come  up  with  Gog  and  Magog.  A  tradi- 
tion that  the  extent  of  his  camp  was /our  hundred 
parsaes  or  leagues,  the  1  was 
forty  parsaes.  The  total  mi  his  army  was  two 
hundred  d/t>/  sixty  myriads  of  thousands,  I  .  Abaii 
asked,    "  I.                  triad,  or  "//'■   thousand,  or  <>nr  hun- 

01  more  literally  less  tw 

!.  2. 

. —  In  tic  immediate  contexl  of  the  above  extract  we 
have  the  following  Legend  concerning  Sennacherib: — A 
Rabbi  Abhu  has  said,  "  Were  it  Dot  for  this  Scripture 
text  it  w.-uld  1>.-  impossible  to  repeat  what  ia  written 
i  I  ..  vii.  20),  ■  In  the  same  day  Bhall  tin-  Lord  Bhave 
with  a  razor  that  Lb  hired,  by  them  beyond  the  river, 
by  til--  king  of  Assyria,  tin-  head  and  tin-  hair  of  the 
•  ;  and  it  shall  ul-"  consume  the  beard.'"  Th.'  Btory 
is  this:— The  Eoly  One — blessed  !"•  Be! — once  dis- 
1  Eimself  as  an  elderly  man  and  came  to  Senna- 
cherib, and  said,  li  When  thon  comes!  to  the  ki] 
th--  East  and  of  tip'  Wi  -".  to  force  their  sons  into 
thine  army,  what  wilt  thou  say  unto  them?"  Be  re 
plied,  "<>n  that  very  account  I  am  in  fear.  What  .-hall 
I  dot"  God  answered  him,  "Go  and  disguise  thyself." 
"How  can   I   d  myself?"  .-aid  he.     God  replied, 

"Go  and  fetch  me  a  pair  of  -  issora  and  I  will  cut  thy 
hair."  Sennacherib  asked,  "  Whence  Bhall  I  fetch 
them?"  "Co  to  yonder  house  and  bring  them."  He 
went  accordingly  and  observed  a  pair,  hut  there  he  met 
the  ministering  angels  •  men,  grinding  date- 


CHAPTER  XIII.  269 

I  them  for  the  scissors,  but  they  said, 
"Grind  thou  first  a  measure  of  date-stones,  and  then 
thou  .-halt  have  the  Bcissors."     He  did  as  he  was  told,  and 

btained  the  scissors.  It  was  dark  before  he  returned, 
and  God  said  unto  him,  "  Go  and  fetch  some  fire."  This 
also  he  did,  but  whilst  blowing  the  embers  his  beard 
was   singed     Upon  which  God  came  and  shaved  his 

i  and  his  beard,  and  said,  "This  is  it  which  is  writ- 
ten (I-a.  vii.  20),  ■  It  shall  also  consume  the  beard.'" 
I:  \  I  ppa  says  this  is  the  proverb  current  among  the 
people,  "Singe  the  face  of  a  Syrian,  and,  if  it  pleases 
him,  also  set  his  beard  in  fire,  and  thou  wilt  not  be  able 
to  laugh  enough."     (Sanhedrin,  fol  95,  col.  2,  and  fol. 

96,  col.    I.) 

39.  '•  He  hath  cut  off  in  His  fierce  anger  all  the  horn 
of  [srael,"  &c.  Lam.  ii.  3).  These  are  the  eighty  thousand 
war-horns  or  battering-rams  that  entered  the  city  of 
Byther,  in  which  ho  massacred  so  many  men,  women,  and 
children,  that  their  blood  ran  like  a  river  and  llowed  into 
the  Mediterranean  Sea,  which  was  a  mile  away  from  the 

out  in,  fol.  57,  col.  1. 

40.  Thai  mole  had  a  label  attached  to  bis  neck  on  which 
it  was  stated  that  its  breeding  cost  a  hundred  thousand 
zou/.im.  Bechoroth,  fol.  8,  col.  2. 

41.  Rabbi  Vossi  said,  "  I  have  seen  Seppboris  (Cyprus) 
in  the  days  of  its  prosperity,  and  there  were  in  it  a  hun- 
</,-,</  an, I  eighty  thousand  marts  for  sauces. 

Bava  Il<if/<r<t,  fol.  75,  col.  2. 

42.  Rav  Assi  said  three  hundred  thousand  swordsmen 
wmt  up  to  the  lioyal  Mount  and  there  slaughtered  the 
people  for  three  days  and  three  nights,  and  yet  while  on 
the  one  side  of  the  mount  they  were  mourning,  on  the 
other  they  were  merry;  those  on  the  one  side  did  not 
know  the  affairs  of  those  on  the  other. 

Oitt In,  fol.  57,  col.  1. 


(     2;o    ) 


CHAFFEE  XIV. 

rALMUDIC  NUMBERS  FROM  'ONE  MILLION'  AND  ITWAI:: 

i.  A.  certain  disciple  prayed  1       i    Rabbi  Chanina,  and 
said,  "0  God!  v.  ^eat,  mighty, formidable,  magnifi- 

cent, strong,  terrible,  valiant,  powerful,  real  and  honour 
He  waited  until  he  had  finished,  and  then  said  t"  him, 
Hi.-;  thou  ended  all  the  pr  thy  God  '     Need  we 

enumerate  so  many  1     As  for  us,  even  tin-  three  tern 
praise  which   w  •  usually  repeat,  we  should  not  dare  to 
utter,  had  not    M       .   our  master,  pronounced  them  in 
the  law  (I). ait.  \.  i;  .    nd  had  not  the  men  <>f  the  Great 
Syna  ordained  them  foi  :  and  yet  thou  hast 

repeated  bo  many  and  I    inclined  v>  go  on. 

as  it'  one  were  to  compliment  a  king  because  <»f  hia 
Bilver,  who  is  master  <>f  a  thousand  thousands  "i'  gold 
denarii     Wouldst  thou  think  that  becoming  : " 

B  r  ichoth,  foL  2,3-  coL  -■ 

2.  Rabbi  Yossi  :  .  "  I  once  met  a  man 

in  my  travels  and  we  Baluted  one  another.  In  reply  to 
a  question  <>f  his  I  paid,  'I  am  from  a  great  city  <»f  e 
and  Bcribes/  Upon  this  he  offered  me  a  thousand  thousand 
golden  denarii,  ami  precious  stones  and  pearls,  if  I  would 
nd  dwell  in  his  native  place.  But  I  replied, 
saying,  '  It  thou  wert  to  give  me  all  the  gold  and  silver, 
all  the  precious  stones  and  pearls  in  the  world,  I  would 
not  reside  anywhere  else  than  in  the  place  where  the  law 
is  studied.'"  A  ■■>(//,  chap.  6. 


CHAPTER  XIV.  271 

3.  Thousands  on  thousands  in  Israel  were  named  after 
Anon;  forbad  it  not  been  for  Aaron  these  thousands  of 
thousands  would  not  have  been  born.  Aaron  went  about 
making  peace  between  quarrelling  couples,  and  tbose  wbo 
were  bom  after  the  reconciliation  were  regularly  named 

him.  Avoth  cPRab.  Nathan,  chap.  12. 

4.  It  is  related  by  the  Rabbis  that  Kabbon  Yocbanan 
ben  Zacchai  was  once  riding  out  of  Jerusalem  accompanied 
by  his  disciples,  when  he  saw  a  young  woman  picking 
barley  out  of  the  dung  on  the  road.  On  his  asking  her 
name,  she  told  him  that  .-he  was  the  daughter  of  Niko- 
demon  ben  Gorion  (see  chap.  ri.  No.  13).  ''What  has 
become  of  thy  father's  riches?"  said  he,  "and  what  has 
become  of   thy  dowry?"     "host  thou   not   remember," 

that  charity  is  lie'  salt  of  riches?"  (Her 
father  had  not  been  noted  for  this  virtue.)  "  Dost  thou 
not  remember  signing  my  marriage  contract  \"  said  the 
woman.  •  Y(  "  .-aid  the  Rabbi,  "  I  well  remember  it. 
|-  stipulated  for  a  million  gold  denarii  from  thy  father, 
des  the  allowance  from  thy  husband/'  &e. 

Ki  thubothj  foL  66,  coL  2. 

5.  Abba    Benjamin  says,  '-If  our  eye  were  permitted 
e  the  malignant  sprites  that  beset  us,  we  could  not 
on  account  of  them."     Abaii  has  said,  "  They  out- 
number  us,  they  surround   us  as  the  earthed-up  soil  on 
our  garden-beds."     Rav  Hunna  says,  "  Every  one  has  a 
thousand  at   his  left  side  and  ten  thousand  at  his  right" 

I'  .  !.  ;;.  b'ava  adds,  "The  crowding  at  the  schools  is 
ised  by  their  pushing  in;  they  cause  the  weariness 
which  the  Rabbis  experience  in  their  knees,  and  even 
tear  their  clothes  by  hustling  against  them.  If  one  would 
discover  traces  of  their  presence,  let  him  sift  some  ashes 
upon  the  iloor  at  his  bedside,  and  next  morning  he  will 
.  as  it  were,  the  footmarks  of  fowls  on  the  surface. 
But  if  one  would  see  the  demons  themselves,  he  must 


A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

burn  to  ashes  the  after-birth  of  a  first-born  black  kitten, 
tin*  offspring  of  a  first-born  Mack  cat,  and  then  put  a  little 
the  ashes  into  his  eyes,  and  he  will  no!  fail  to  see 
them,"  &c,  &c.  Berachoth,  foL  6,  ooL  i. 

6.  In  each  camp  there  are  suspended  thra  hundred  and 

myriad  &c.     (See  chap.  xi  No.  7.) 

7.  Agrippa,  being  anxious  to  ascertain  the  number  of 
the  male  population  of  [srael,  instructed  the  priest  to  take 

1  hal  Lambs.  ( >n  taking  account  of 
tin-  kidneys,  LI  waa  found  that  there  were  sixty  myriad 
couples,  (which  indicated  double  the  number  of  those  that 
came  up  out         Egypt,   not   reckoning  those  that  v. 

monially  unclean  and  those  that  were  out  travelling. 

There  was  not  a  Paschal  lamb  in  which  Less  than  ten  had 

a  share,  so  that  the  number  1  over  six  hundred 

myriads  of  men.  P  achim,  foL  64,  coL  2. 

.V  1  "  It  is  unlawful  t<>  enum<  rat*    1:1  even  with 

a  view  i"  a  meritorious  .1—1"  (Yoma,  foL  22,  coL  2). 

1         R  shi's  comment  on  the  former  text  it  seems  that  the 

•  merely  held  up  the  duplicate  kidneys,  upon  which 

the  king's  agent  regularly  laid  aside  a  pea  or  a  pebble 

int"  a  small  heap,  which  anted  up. 

is,  Book  VI.  chap  i.\.  Bee  3. 

(A.)  It  might   n<'t  I"-  amiss  t"  remind  the  reader  in 

og  that    if   one  v.  d   on    hundn d   \  ex 

minute  for  U  i>  /><><//:•<  a  day,  it  would  take  do  Less  than 

sixteen  'lays  mx  hours  forty  minutes  t<»  count  a  million; 

and  that  it  would  take  twenty  men,  reckoning  at  the 

same  rate,  t<>  sum  up  the  total  uumber  stated  in  the  text 

in  otk  day,  bo  a-  to  ascertain  that  there  were  1,200,000 

sacrifices  at  the  Passover  under  notice,  representing  no 

Less  than  12.000,000  celebrants. 

8.  At  the  time  when  Israel  in  their  eagerness  first  said, 
••  We  will  do,"  and  then.  u  We  will  hear"  (Exod.  xxix.  7), 

there  came  sixty  myriads  of  ministering  angels  to  crown 
each  Israelite  with  two  crowns,  one  for  "  we  will  do"  and 
one  for  "  we  will  hear."     Lut  when  after  this  Israel  sinned, 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


273 


there  came  down  a  hwidred  end  twenty  myriads  of  de- 

iying  angels  and  took  the  crowns  away  from  them,  as  it 
i  I  !'.  1.  xxxiii.  6),  "And  the  children  of  Israel 
stripped  themselves  of  their  ornaments  hy  Mount  Horeb." 
•I:  m  Lakish  Bays,  "The  Holy  One— blessed  be  He!— 
will,  in  the  future,  return  them  to  us;  for  it  is  said  (Isa. 
xxxv.  10), '  The  ransomed  of  the  Lord  shall  return  and 
come  to  Zionwith  songs  and  everlasting  joy  upon  their 
fa  :  .'  '.'.,  the  joy  they  had  in  days  of  yore,  upon  their 
hi  ads."  Shabbafh,  foL  SS,  col.  1. 

9.  Let  no  one  venture  out  alone  at  night-time  on 
Wednesdays  and  Saturdays,  for  Agrath,  the  daughter  of 
Machloth,  roams  about  accompanied  by  eighteen  myriads 
of  evil  genii,  each  one  of  which  has  power  to  destroy. 

/''   ichim,  foL  112,  col.  2. 

10.  It  is  related  of  Rabbi  Elazar  ben  Charsom  that  his 
mother  made  him  a  shirt  which  cost  two  myriads  of  ma- 
nahs,  but  his  fellow-priests  would  not  allow  him  to  wear 

cause  he  appeared  in  it  as  though  he  were  naked. 

YomOj  fol.  35,  coL  2. 

11.  He  who  has  not  seen  the  double  gallery  of  the 
Synagogue  in  Alexandria  of  Egypt,  has  not  seen  the  glory 
of  CsraeL  .  .  .  There  were  seventy-one  seats  arranged  in 
it  according  to  the  number  of  the  seventy-one  members 
of  the  greater  Sanhedrin,  each  seat  of  no  less  value  than 
twenty-one  myriads  of  golden  talents.     A  wooden  pulpit 

in  the  centre,  upon  which  stood  the  reader  holding  a 
Sudarium  (a  kind  of  flag)  in  his  hand,  which  he  waved 
when  the  vast  congregation  were  required  to  say  Amen 
at  the  end  of  any  benediction,  which,  of  course,  it  was 
impossible  for  all  to  hear  in  so  stupendous  a  synagogue. 
The  congregation  did  not  sit  promiscuously, but  in  guilds; 
goldsmiths  apart,  silversmiths  apart,  blacksmiths,  copper- 
smiths, embroiderers,  weavers,  &c,  all  apart  from  each 
other.     When  a  poor  craftsman  came  in,  he  took  his  seat 


274  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

among  the  people  of  his  guild,  who  maintained  him  till 
he  found  employment  Abaii  says  all  this  immense 
population   v  jsacred  by   Alexander  of   Macedon, 

Why  were  they  thus   punished?     B      use   they   trans- 
ed  the  Scripture,  which  Bays  (Dent  xvii.  i6),  -  W 
shall  henceforth  return  no  more  thai  way." 

8   '•'''■,  foL  5 1,  col  2. 

i2.  The  Rabbis  teach  that  during  a  prosperous  year  in  the 
land  of  Lsrael,  a  place  sown  with  a  measure  of  Beed  pro- 
duce :  being  equal  to  thirty  mea- 
sures). Kethuboth,  idl  112,  coL  i. 

13.  Rav  UUa  was  once  asked,  "Town  I  Is  one 

bound  to  honour  his  father  and  mother?"  To  which  he 
replied, "  See  what     1  f  Askelon  once  did,  Dammah 

ben  Nethina  by  name.     T.  ods 

to  the  value  of  sixty  c  which  they  were  ready 

to  pay  t:  but  the  key  of  th<  omhappem 

be  under  the  pillow  of  his  i  ther,  I  asleep,  and 

Dammah  would  not  disturb  him."     Rabbi    Eli< 
once  asked  the  tion,  and  he  gave  the  Bame 

answer,  adding  an  interesting  •  the  illustration: — 

"  Tin1  b  re  seekin  I  mes  for  the 

high  priest's  breast]  late,  to  the  val  1 
eighty  n  .  rii,  bu1  the  key  of  the  jewel- 

chest  happened  t<>  be  under  the  pillow  of  his  father,  who 
was  asleep  at  the  time,  ami  he  would  not  wake  him.  In 
following  year,  however,  the  Boly  One— blessed  he 
He! — rewarded  him  with  the  birth  of  a  red  heifer  among 
his  herds,  for  which  the  sages  i  paid  him  such  a 

sum  as  com]  I  him  fully  for  the  loss  he  sustained 

in  honouring  his  parent."'  dushin,  foL  31,  col  1. 

14.  "The  Lord  hath  swallowed  up  all  the  habitations 
of  Jacob"  (Lam.  ii.  2).     Ravin  came  to  Babylon  and  Baid 

in  the   name  of  Rabbi  Yochanan,  "These  are  the  sixty 

myriads  of  cities  which  Xing  Yannai  (Jannajus)  possessed 


CHAPTER  XIV.  275 

on  the  royal  mount.     The  population  of  each  equalled 

the  number  that  went  up  out  of  Egypt,  except  that  of 

three  cities  in   which  that   number  was  doubled.     And 

these  three  cities  were  W2  133,  Caphar  Bish  (literally, 

of  evil),  so  called  because  there  was  no  hospice 

ion    of  strangers    therein;    D^rro  ~)HD, 

Caphar   Shichlaiim   (village  of  water-cresses),  so  called 

because  it  was  chiefly  on  that  herb  that  the  people  sub- 

d;    WWISD,    Caphar    Dichraya   (the    village   of 

male  children),  bo  called,  says  Rabbi  Yochanan,  because 

its    women   first   gave   birth    to    buys,  and  afterwards  to 

girls,  and  then  left  off  bearing."     TJlla  said,  "I  have  seen 

thai  place,  and  am  sure  that  it  could  not  hold  sixty  myriads 

A  Sadducee  upon  this  said  to  Rabbi  Chanina, 

■   Fe  do  not  speak  the  truth.''    The  response  was,  "  It  is 

written    (Jer.   iii.    19),  OS  JlSlJ,   'The   inheritance  of  a 

deer,'  as  the  skin  of  a  deer,  unoccupied  by  the  body  of  the 

animal,  shrinks,  so  also  the  land  of  Israel,  unoccupied  by 

its  rightful  owners,  became  contracted" 

Gittin,  fol.  57,  col.  1. 

15.  Rabbi  Yoshua,  the  son  of  Korcha,  relates: — "An 
1  inhabitant  of  Jerusalem  once  told  me  that  in  this 
valley  tivo  hundred  and  eleven  myriads  were  massacred 
by  Nebuzaradan,  captain  of  the  guard,  and  in  Jeru- 
:i  Itself  he  slaughtered  upon  one  stone  ninety-four 
myriads,  so  that  the  blood  flowed  till  it  touched  the  blood 
of  Zachariah,  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  is  said  (Hos. 
ii.  4),  'And  blood  toucheth  blood.'  "When  he  saw  the 
blood  of  Zachariah,  and  noticed  that  it  was  boiling  and 
agitated,  he  asked,  '  What  is  this  ?'  and  he  was  told  that 
it  was  the  spilled  blood  of  the  sacrifices.  Then  he  ordered 
blood  from  the  sacrifices  to  be  brought  and  compared  it  with 
the  blood  of  the  murdered  prophet,  when,  finding  the  one 
unlike  the  other,  he  said, '  If  ye  tell  me  the  truth,  well  and 
good  ;  if  not,  I  will  comb  your  flesh  with  iron  currycombs  ! ' 
U]  m  this  they  confessed,  '  He  was  a  prophet,  and  because 


276  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

itters  of  religion,  we  arose  and  kill(  d 

and  it  is  now  3ome  years  rince  his  bl 1  has  been  in 

the  :  idition  in  which  thon  seest  it.'     i  Well,' 

1  wil]        ify  him.'    He  then  bronght  the  greater 

and  Sanhedrin   and   slaughtered    them,    but   the 

I  of  the  prophet  did  not  rest     He  next  slaughfc 
yotu  and  maidens,  but  the  blood  continued  i 

He  finally  brought  school-children  and 
them,  but  the  blood  being  still  unpacified 
exclaimed,  'Zachariah!   Z  h!  I  have  for  thy 

killed  the  best  among  them;  will  it  please  thee  if  I  kill 
i  all  \ '    As  he  said  I  of  the  prophet 

ned  within  hiin- 

thus,  'If  the  blood  of  one  individual  has  brought 

punishment,  how  much  will  my 

punishment  1"'  for  i  many  ! '     \\\  Bhort, 

he  i  I  became  a  Jewish 

proselyl  L  2. 

Note. — TIp-  Bai  ohedrin,  foL   96, 

notably  this,  anion 

I  mo- 
tion they  put  him  to  di 

16.  (Gen.  xxvii  2),  "Th<  is  the  voice  of  Jacob, 

but  the  hands  a:  :    1 .     a."      Th(  I     Died 

;  lamentation  caused  by  II    l- 

rian,  who  had  at  Alexa  1  twice 

the  number  of  Jews  that  ha  I  rth  under  M< 

The     .  fers  to  a  similar  lamentation  occa- 

sioned by  A'  :.  who  ]nit  to  death  in  the  city  of 

Byther  four  hundred  myriads,  or,  as  some  Bay,  four  thou- 
r  .    hands  are  1  is  of  Esau,"  that 

is,  the  empire  which  destroyed  our  house,  burned  our 
Temple,  and  banished  us  from  our  country.  Or  the  "voice 
of  Jacob"  means  that  there  is  no  effectual  prayer  that  is 
not  offered  up  by  th  y  of  Jacob;  and  "the  hands 

are  the  hands  of  Esau,"  that  there  is  no  victorious  battle 
which  is  not  fought  by  the  descendants  of  Esau.      Ibid. 


CHAPTER  XIV.  277 

1 7.  Tamar  and  Zimri  botli  committed  fornication.  The 
former  (actuated  by  a  good  motive,  see  Gen.  xxxviii.  26) 
became  the  ancestress  of  kings  and  prophets.  The  latter 
brought  about  the  destruction  of  myriads  in  Israel.  Eav 
Nachman  bar  Yitzchak  says,  "  To  do  evil  from  a  good 
motive  is  better  than  observing  the  law  from  a  bad  one" 
(<  v/.,  Tamar  and  Zimri,  Lot  and  his  daughters). 

Nazir,  fol.  23,  coL  2. 

iS.  The  Rabbis  have  taught  that  the  text,  "And  when 
it  rested,  he  said,  Return,  0  Lord,  to  the  myriads  and 
thousands  of  Israel"  (Num.  x.  36),  intimates  that  the 
Shechinah  does  not  rest  upon  less  than  two  myriads  and 
two  thousands  (two  being  the  minimum  plurality).  Sup- 
pose  one  of  the  twenty-two  thousand  neglect  the  duty  of 
procreation,  is  he  not  the  cause  of  the  Shechinah's  depar- 
ture fi        1  rael?  Yevamoth,  foL  64,  col.  1. 

19.  'And  place  over  them  to  be  rulers  of  thousands, 
and  rulers  of  hundreds,  and  rulers  of  fifties,  and  rulers 
of  tens"  (Exod.  xviii.  21).     The  rulers  of  thousands  were 

hundred  in  number,  the  rulers  of  hundreds  six  thou- 
i>c/id,  of  fifties  twelve  thousand,  and  rulers  of  tens  six 
myriads.  The  total  number  of  rulers  in  Israel,  therefore, 
was  seven  myriad  eight  thousand  six  hundred. 

JSanhed rin,  foL  18,  col.  1. 

20.  Once  upon  a  time  the  people  of  Egypt  appeared 
before  Alexander  of  Macedon  to  complain  of  Israel.  "It 
is  said  (Exod.  xii.  36),  they  argued,  '  The  Lord  gave  the 
people  favour  in  the  sight  of  the  Egyptians,  so  that  they 
lent  unto  them/  &C, ;  "  and  they  prayed,  "  Give  us  now  back 
the  gold  and  the  silver  that  ye  took  from  us."  Givia  ben 
Tesisa  said  to  the  wise  men  (of  Israel),  "  Give  me  permis- 
sion to  plead  against  them  before  Alexander.  If  they 
overcome  me,  say,  '  You  have  overcome  a  plebeian  only/ 
but  if  I  overcome  them,  say, '  The  law  of  Moses  our  master 
has  triumphed  over  you/  "    They  accordingly  gave  him 


2;S  A    TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

leave,  and  lie  went  and  argued  thus,  "Whence  do  ye  pro- 
duce  your  proof?"  "From  the  law,"  said  they.  Then 
he,  "  I  will  bring  no  othei  evidence  bnt  from  the  law. 
I  is  Baid  (ExocL  xii.  40),  'The  Bojouming  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  who  dwelt  in  Egypt,  was  four  hundred  and 
thiri  .'     Pay  us  now  the  osufruct  of  the  labour 

of  the  sixty  myriads  whom  ye  enslaved  in  Egypl  tor/our 
hundred  and  thi'i  \       ader  gave  the  Egyptians 

three  d.--  replyi  but  they  never  put  in 

an  appearance.  En  fad  y  fled  away  and  left  both  their 
fields  and  vii.  8  .  foL  91,  col  1. 

21.  "And  Jethro  said.  Bli  I    rd,  who  hath 
delivered  you"  1  ExocL  xviii.  10).    A  tradition  Bays,  in  the 

:'  Rabbi  Papyes,  "Shame  upon  Moses  and  upon 
!  they  1  ad  not  Baid, 

1  Blessed    be   the    Lord/  til]    Ji  me   and   set  the 

example."  /     ..  I  L  9 ;.  coL  1. 

22.  "  And  let  him  dip  his  foot  in  oil "  ( I  >eut  zxxiii  24), 
the  Rabbis  Bay,  refers  to  the  portion  1  r,  which  pro- 

3  oil  like  a  welL    1 1  a  time,  they  relate,  tho 

I.  •  •    J(  rusalem  with  instructions 

to  purchase  a  hundred  myriads*  worth  of  oil,     lie  pro- 

and  thence  to  1  rush-halab,  when 
met  with  the  oil  merchant  earthing  up  his  olive-trees,  and 
asked  him  whether  he  could  supply  a  hundred  myri 
worth  of  nil.    "Stop  till  1  have  finished  my  work,"  was 
the  reply.     The  other,  wh  iw  the  business-like  way 

in  which  he  Bet  to  work,  could  not  help  incredulously  ex- 
claiming, "What!  hast  thou  really  a  hundred  myriads* 
worth  of  oil  to  sell?  Surely  the  Jews  have  meant  to 
make  game  of  me."     How.  v.  nt  to  the  house  with 

the  oil  merchant,  where  a  female  slave  brought  hot  water 
for  him  to  wash  his  hands  and  feet,  and  a  golden  bowl  of 
oil  to  dip  them  in  afterwards,  thus  fulfilling  Dent,  xxxiii. 
24  to  the  very  letter.     After  they  had  eaten  together,  the 


CHAPTER  XIV.  279 

merchant  measured  out  to  him  the  hundred  myriads'  worth 
U,  and  then  asked  whether  he  would  purchase  more  from 
him,  "  Yes,M  said  the  agent,  "  but  I  have  no  more  money 
here  with  me."  "Xever  mind,"  said  the  merchant;  "buy- 
it  and  I  will  go  with  thee  to  thy  home  for  the  money." 
Then  he  measured  out  eighteen  myriads'  worth  more.  It 
id  that  he  hired  every  horse,  mule,  camel,  and  ass  he 
could  find  in  all  Israel  to  carry  the  oil,  and  that  on  nearing 

hifl  city  the  1 pie  turned  out  to  meet  him  and  compliment 

1 1 1 111  for  the  service  he  had  done  them.  "Don't  praise 
_.nt,  "  but  this,  my  companion,  to  whom  I 
myriads!'  This,  says  the  narrator,  illustrates 
what  La  said  (Prov.  xiii.  7),  "  There  is  that  maketh  himself 
(ap} .car  to  be)  rich,  yet  hath  nothing  ;  there  is  that  maketh 
himself  poor,  yet  hath  great  riches." 

M  nachoth,  fol.  85,  col.  2. 


A 

CENTURY  OF  EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  MIDRASHIM. 


"  Frecioua  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the  Aggadah,  as  explained  in  the 
Midrashim." 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  MIDRASHIM. 


OUR  "Century  of  Extracts  from  the  Midrashim"  naturally 
calls  for  a  few  words  by  way  of  introduction  and  explana- 
tion. 

The  Midrashim  are  ancient  Rabbinical  expositions  of 
Holy  Writ.  The  term  Midrash  (of  which  Midrashim  is 
the  plural  form)  occurs  twice  in  thi  II  brew  Bible  (2 
Chron.  xiii.  22,  and  xxiv.  27) ;  and  in  both  passages  it 
is  oddly  represented  in  the  Anglican  version  by  the  word 
"story,"  while  the  more  correct  translation,  "commen- 
tary,*' is  relegated  to  the  margin.  "Legendary  exposi- 
tion" best  expresses  the  full  meaning  of  the  word  Midrash, 
which  is  derived  from  the  Aramaic  ttm,  Darash,  uto  lay 
open,  to  investigate,"  and,  according  to  Rabbinical  termi- 
nology, "to  expound,  or  to  preach."  Other  cognate  terms 
are  Darashah,  "  a  sermon  or  exposition ; "  Darshan,  "  a 
preacher  or  expositor;  "  and  one  which  deserves  more  than 
a  passing  notice,  viz.,  Darshanith,  "a  female  expounder" 
In  the  Talmud  (Bava  Bathra,  ful.  119,  col.  2),  the 
daughters  of  Zelophehad,  the  five  wise  virgins  of  Rab- 
binic lore,  as  we  may  fairly  style  them,  are  uniquely 
honoured  with  the  titles  of  JinplS,  niWVT,  rWXttl, 
i.e.,  sages,  expounders,  righteous  women ;  and  it  is  on  this 
ground  that  the  second  of  these,  the  strangest  of  the  three, 
is  alleged  to  have  been  applied  to  them.  In  Num.  xxvii. 
4  these  daughters  of  Zelophehad  are  represented  as  plead- 
ing and  saying,  "  Why  should  the  name  of  our  father  be 
done  away  from  among  his  family  because  he   hath  no 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  MIDRASHIM. 

Give  unto  us,  tl:  •         don  among  the 

brethren  of  onr  father;*1  and  thus,  by  their  suggestion, 

Ling  once  for  all  a  moot-point  in  the  law  given  to 
I  •  •  1.     It  Btands  to  reason  that  if  they  had  not  I 
filWTT,    Darshaneeyoth,    that    is,    female    expound 

could  not  have  known  the  correct  interpretation  of 
ih.-  law,  which  even  Moses,  the  prime  legislator  himself,  as 
from  the  context,  was  not  aware  of;  while  we  have 
the  Divine  testimony  to  justify  the  conclusion  that  tl 
were  in  their  exposition,  and,  in  the  wh 

rrant  for  the  infi  which  is  inevitable,  that  edu- 

n  in  the  law  was  not  forbidden  to  femali     " ;.  M 
( )nly  thi  in  M  have  em 

the  harsh  dogma,  XPOil  T\  1  nOD'1  »V)  iTYtfl  TO!  WWP, 
•  I.  •  words  of  the  Law  be  burned,  but  let  not  the 

words  of  the  law  be  imparted  to  women"   see  Tosaphoth 
in  Soteh,  foL  21,  00L  2,  and  for  more  on  this  Bubject,  In- 
aded  to  this  work). 
Midrashim,  for   the   most  part,  originated  in   a 
prai  to  familiarise  the  people  with  1 1«  >ly 

Writ,  which  had,  in  consequence  of  changes  in  the  ver- 
nacular, to  them,  in  the  course  of  time,  almi 

;  letter.  Tip  e  Midrashim  have  little  or  nothing  to 
do  with  the  Halachoth  or  Legal  decisions  of  the  Talmud, 

ipt  in  aim,  which  is  that  of  illustration  and  explana- 
tion. They  Literal  interpretations,  but  figurative 
and  paraphrastic;  oftentimes  they  are  allegorical,  and  as 
Buch  enigmatic.  They  are,  however,  to  1"'  I  as 
utterances  of  the  sages,  and  ran  regard  them  of  as 
binding  obligation  as  the  law  of  Moses  itself  (see  Meno- 
rath  Hammaor,  vol  L  p.  96),  so  that  he  who  treats  them 
with  disrespect  may  expect  to  be  punished  in  Gehenna 
for  the  slight  nnmi  HK12G,  by  being  boiled  in  excrement 
(See  Eiruvin,  fol.  21,  col.  2.)  Even  the  gossip,  wo  are 
told,  of  the  disciples  of  the  wise,  is  to  lie  regarded  with 
reverent  attention  ;  how  much  more,  then,  their  deliberately 
recorded  utterances ! 


2S4  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

Nehemiah  (chap.  viii.  48)  supplies  an  illustration  of 
the  circumstances  in  which  many  of  these  extempore 
Midrashim  originated,  more  especially  the  Targumim  or 
Chaldee  paraphrases  of  the  law,  the  prophets,  and  other 
sacred  writings.  Though  not  a  few  quotations  from 
various  Midrashim  are  given  in  the  notes  iuterspersed 
throughout  this  volume,  we  have  kept  the  Yalkut  Eli 
in  reserve  to  supply  the  extracts  which  follow.  These 
we  take  to  be  fairly  typical  specimens  of  that  homiletic 
literature  of  the  Geonastic  period  of  Jewish  history. 

This  grand  Miscellany  of  Haggadoth,  better  known  by 
the  title  of  ITJP^N  lOlp^,  Yalkut  Eliezer,  ranges  so  freely 
over  the  whole  field  of  sacred  history,  lingering  especially 
on  the  salient  features  of  the  five  books  of  Moses,  that  it 
is  aptly  suited  to  our  purpose  lure,  which  is  that  of  illus- 
trating the  motto  taken  from  its  preface,  "  Precious  in 
the  eyes  of  the  Lord  is  the  Aggadah,  as  explained  in  the 
Midrashim." 


(      2S5      ) 


CHAPTEB  XV. 

EXTRACTS    PROM   THB   IODBABHDC. 

i.  The  name  of  Abraham  alw.  those  of 

I     u    :  ad  Jacob   except   in  one  pL         I    ..   xxvi.  42), 

where  it  is  Baid,  "  And  I  will  remember  my  covenant  with 

Jacob,  and  also  my  covenant  with   [saac,  and  also  my 

riant  with  Abraham  will  I  n  1  ;"  and  thus  wo 

I  equal  important 

Midraah  R  .  I      .  chap  1. 

N"(  that  this  preced<  ace  Lb  on  this  exegesis  men  ly  an 

instance  «'f  primus  inter  pares  among  the   patriarchal 
In  the  Selichoth*  for  the  Daj  aement 

the  above  n  versa]  of  the  usual  order  of  the  names  of 
Abraham,  [saac,  and  Jacob  is  thus  referred  fco:  "The 
first  covenant  Thou  didst  exalt,  and  the  order  of  the 
conl  . it ii  a  to  it  Thou  fa  ■■<!.'' 

2.  Abraham  deserved  to  have  been  created  before  Adam, 
but  the  Holy  One — bl<  He! — said,  "Should  he 
pervert  thin  I  make  them,  then  there  will  b< 
one  to  rectify  them;  so  behold  I  will  create  Adam  first, 
and  if  he  should  make  things  crooked,  then  Abraham  fol- 
lowing him  will  make  them  straight  again." 

///A/.,  chap.  14. 

3.  Abram  was  callu<l  Abraham,  and  [saac  was  also  called 
Abraham;  as  it  is  written  (Gen.  xxv,  19),  "Isaac,  Abra- 
ham's Bon,  Abraham."  Ibid.,  chap.  63. 

Nora, — This  ia  a  Bample  of  what  we  may  term  a  Procrustean 
quotation  (a  practice  not  confined  to  Rabbinic  ingenuity), 
whereby  the  Scriptures  are  cut  to  measure,  and  made  to 
fit  according  to  fancy. 

*  A  oertain  portion  of  the  Jewish  liturgy. 


2S6  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY, 

4.  "  And  he  lay  down  in  thai  place N  ((Jen.  xxviii.  n). 
Rabbi  Yuda  said,  "  There  he  lay  down,  but  lie  did  not  lie 
down  during  all  the  fourteen  years  lie  was  hid  in  the  house 
ofEber."  Rabbi  Nehemiah  said, u  Then  he  lay  down,  but  he 
did  not  lie  down  all  the  twenty  years  in  which  he  stood 
in  the  house  of  Laban."  Midrash  Rabbah,  chap.  68. 

5.  ihpiri,  Vayash  Kihu.  u  And  kissed  him  "  ((  ten.  xxxiii. 
4).  Rabbi  Yanai  asks,  "  Why  is  this  word  (in  the  original 
Hebrew)  so  pointed?"  "It  is  to  teach  that  Esan  did  not 
come  to  kiss  him,  hut  to  bite  him;  only  the  neck  of  Jacob 
our  father  became  as  hard  as  marble,  and  this  blunted  the 
teeth  of  the  wicked  one."  ''And  what  is  taught  by  the 
expression  'And  theywept?'"  "The  one  wept  for  his 
neck  and  the  other  for  his  teeth."  //</»/.,  chap.  78. 

Note.    -Rabbi  Shimon  ben  Yochai  in  Sifri  deliberately  contro- 
fchia  interpretation,  and  Aben  Ezra  says  it  is  an 
•■  1  ^position  in  only  for  children." 

6.  Esau  said,  "  I  will  not  kill  my  brother  Jacob  with 
bow  and  arrow,  but  with  my  mouth  I  will  suck  his  blood," 
as  i;  :.  xxxiii.  4  ,  "And  Esau  ran  to  meet  him, 
and  embraced  him,  and  kissed  him,  and  they  wept," 
(TOOT  tibx  VipOT  n  nsi.  Read  not  "and  he  kissed  him," 
but  ivad,  "  and  he  bit  him."  The  neck  of  Jacob,  however, 
became  as  hard  as  ivory,  and  it  is  respecting  him  that 
Scripture  says  (('ant.  vii  5),  "Thy  neck  is  as  a  tower  of 
ivory," — so  that  the  teeth  of  Esau  became  blunted;  and 
when  he  saw  that  his  desire  could  not  be  gratified,  lie 

11  to  he  angry,  and  gnashed  his  teeth,  as  it  is  said 
(Ps.  cxii.  10),  "The  wicked  shall  see  it  and  be  grieved;  he 
shall  mash  with  his  teeth." 

Pirke  cCRab.  Ell<::<r,  chap.  36. 

IS'ote. — See  also  the  previous  quotation  from  the  Midrash 
Kabbah.  The  Targuni  of  Jonathan  and  als<»  the  Yeru- 
shalmi  record  the  same  fantastic  tradition.     In  the  latter 

it  is  given  thus,  "  And  Esau  ran  to  meet  him,  and  hugged 


{CHAPTER  XV.  2S7 

him,  and  Ml  upon  his  neck  and  kissed  him.    Esau  v, 
for  the  crushing  of  his  teeth,  and  Jacob  wept  fox  the 

7.  Abraham  made  a  covenant  with  the  people  of  the 
land,  and  when  the  angels  presented  themselves  to  him, 
In*  thought  they  were  mere  wayfarers,  and  he  ran  to  m<  et 
them,  purposing  to  make  a  banqu  them.  This 
banquet  he  told  Sarah  to  get  prepared,  bnt  just  as  she  was 

.::       iTW  Di  nns^  .    For  this  reason  he  did  not 
:  them  tl  ;  which  she  had  made,  hut  "ran  to 

fetch  a  calf,  tender  and  Lr<»>d."  The  calf  in  trepidation 
ran  away  from  him  and  hid  itself  in  the  cave  of  Machpe- 
lali,  into  which  he  followed  it.  Here  he  found  Adam  and 
l  with  lamps  burning  over  their  com 

and  the   place  pervaded  with  smelling  odour. 

Hence  tl  he  took  to  the  cave  of  Machpelah  fora 

Pirkt  cTRab.  Eliezert  chap.  36. 

Nom— C  mpare  the  words  m:  c~i  nroci  with  the  matter-of- 
in  Gen.   xviii.   11,   rmcnTB9niw^*in 

8.  Sheehem,  the  son  of  Hamor,  assembled  girls  together 
playing  on  tambourines  outside  the  tent  of  Dinah,  and 
when  she  "  went  out  to  see  them,M  he  carried  her  off,  .  .  . 
and  Bhe  bare  him  (  teenath.  The  sons  of  Jacob  wished  to  kill 
her,  lest  the  people  of  the  land  should  begin  to  talk  scan- 
dal of  the  h'  •'  \  er,  engraved 
the  holy  Name  on  a  metal  plate,  suspended  it  upon  her 
neck,  and  sent  her  away.  All  this  being  observed  1  • 
the  Holy  One — blefi  He!  -the  angel  Michael  was 
sent  d<>wn,  who  Led  her  to  Egypt,  into  the  house  of  Poti- 
pherah;  for  Osenath  was  worthy  to  become  the  ^ife  of 

i»li.  Ibid.,  chap.  48. 

Note. — In  Xalkut  Yehoshua  9,  Osenath  is  Btyled  a  proselyte  ; 
and  indeed  it  might  Beem  likely  enough  that  Joseph  in- 
duced hei  to  worship  the  true  God.  The  Targum  of 
Jonathan  agrees  with  the  version  of  the  Midrash  above, 


2SS  A  TALMUD1C  MISCELLANY. 

while  another  tradition  makes  Joseph  marry  Zuleika, 
the  virgin  widow  of  Potiphar,  and  Bays  that  she  was  the 

sain.-  woman  that  is  called  Osenath  (Koran,  note  to  p. 
193). 

9.  When  Joseph's  brethren  recognised  him,  and  wore 
about  to  kill  him,  an  angel  came  down  and  dispersed  them 

to  t lie  four  corners  of  the  house.  Then  Jiulah  screamed 
with  such  a  h>ud  voice  that  all  the  walls  of  Egypt 
were  levelled  with  the  dust,  all  the  beasts  wore  smitten 
to  the  ground,  and  Joseph  and  Pharaoh,  their  tooth  having 
fallen  out,  were  cast  down  from  their  thrones;  while  all 
the  men  that  stood  before  Joseph  had  their  heads  twisted 
round  with  their  faces  towards  their  harks,  and  so  they 
remained  till  the  day  of  their  death  ;  as  it  is  said  (Job  IV. 
10),  "The  roaring  of  the  lion  (Judah),  and  the  voice  of  the 
fierce  lion,"  &c.  l       /•>>//,  chap,  5. 

Note. — For  more  on  this  subject  see  Jasher,  chap.  54,  and 
thr  Targom  of  Jonathan,  Beet  "  Vayegaah,"  &c 

10.  The  tradition  of  a  legend  in  our  possession  Bays 

that  Judah  killed  Ksau.     "When?     \\\        I  died,  Jacob 

and  (the  chiefs  of)  the  twelve  elans  went  to  bury  him;  as 
it  is  written  (den.  xxxv.  29),  "  And  his  Bona  Esarj  and  Jacob 
buried  him."  In  the  Midrash  it  is,  "And  Esau  and  Jacob 
and  his  sons  buried  him,"  which  fits  the  legend  better. 
Arrived  at  the  cave,  they  entered  it.  and  they  stood  and 
wept.  The  (heads  of  the)  tribes,  out  of  respect  to  Jacob, 
left  the  cave,  that  Jacob  might  not  be  put  to  shame  in 
their  presence.  Judah  re-entered  it,  and  finding  Esau 
1  up  as  if  about  to  murder  Jacob,  he  instantly  went 
behind  him  and  killed  him.  But  why  did  he  not  kill 
him  from  the  front  ?  Because  the  physiognomy  of  Esau 
was  exactly  like  that  of  Jacob,  and  it  was  out  of  respect 
to  the  latter  that  he  slew  Esau  from  behind. 

Midrash  Shochar  Tovt  chap.  18. 

Note. — Tradition  varies  respecting  the  tragic  end  of  Esau. 
The  Look  of  Jasher  (chap.  56,  v.  64)  and  the  Targuiu 


CHAPTER  XV. 

of  Jonathan  (in  Vayechi)  1  -a  the-  son 

of  Dan  :  at  the  burial,  n 

iit  to  hinder  the  i\ 
iitrfng  the  title  to  the  Bepulchn  . 
105, 

1 1.  u  Oh,  thai  I  D  1  would 

fly  away,  and  b  T 

Abraham.     But  wh]  u-iah,  in  the 

:    R  tbbi    Y:  .   all  birda  when 

when  tii 
flyii  wing  to  1 

with  /;             1;        s  chap. 

'-•  The  ]  He!— said  unto  Abra- 

ham, "What  should  I  tell  thee?  an  what  shall  r 

righteon 
thy  wife  Sarah  be 
botl  .   that  thy  children  shall 

v.     But   I   will  I 
•  all  thy  children  which  ahall  in  future  1 

WTience 
■'■'"  learn  I  q.  w.  5  ;  "  And  he  said  unto 

him,  So  (like  be." 

B     i  Ibar  Rabbdh,  chap.  2. 

1  J.  '  Every  man  .  .  .  by  his  od  ir  !  "    Num.  ii. 

!        I  selected  tin-  colours  for 
r  banners  from  the  colour  of  the  stones  that  were  u 

From  them  other  princes  have 

■  1  adorn  their  standards  with  different  distinguishinc 

colours.     I.'    :     u  had  his  flag  red,  and  leaves  of  mandrakes 

d  it     i       ihar  had  his  flag  blue,  and  the  sun  and  moon 

upon  it.    Naphtali  had  on  bis  flag  an  olive-tree,  for  this 

11  that  (Gen.  xlix.  20;  "Out  of  Asher  his  bread  shall 

Ibid.,  chap.   7. 

14.  M  And  Abraham  rose  up  early  and  saddled  his  ass" 

(Gen.  xxii.  3).     This  is  the  ass  on  which  Moses  also  rode 

T 


290  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

when  ho  came  into  Egypt  :  for  it  is  said  (Exod.  iv.  20), 
"  And  Moses  took  his  wife  and  his  sons,  and  Bet  them  upon 
an  ass."  This  is  the  ass  on  which  the  Sun  .if  David  also 
shall  ride;  as  it  is  said  (Zech.  ix.  9),  "  Poor,  and  riding 
;  an  ass."  Pirfo  cPBab.  Eliezer,  chap.  31. 

Note. — In  the  morning  Bervice  for  Yom  Eappur,*  there  la  an 
allusion  1  ripture  passage  with  which  our  quota- 

tion opens.  It  i-  said  thai  Abraham  in  " his  great  joy 
perverted  the  usual  order,"  which  a  footnote  explains 
thus — "  In  tlif  greatness  of  hi-  joy,  that  he  had  thus  an 
rtunity  of  sin. win-  his  obedience  t<>  God,  he  set 
aside  tin-  usual  order  of  things,  which  was  that  the 
servant  should  saddle  the  ass,  and  saddled  theasshii 
as  mentioned  Gen  xxii.  3."  The  animal  referred  t<>  in 
tin-  above  remarks  is  thedrin,  foL  9S, 

coL  1.  a-  being  of  a  hundred  1 

15.  When  Joseph  saw  the  signs  of  J  r,  lie 
:i  1m  tremble,  and  said  (to  himself  . "  Woe  is  me,  for  he 

may  kill  me!"     And  what  were  these  signs?     Tears  of 

1  rolling  down  from  Judah's  right  eye,  and  the  hair 

•a-  en  Ins  chest  rising  and  ting  through  the 

live   garmenl  ph  then    tricked   the 

marble   seat  on  whi  ting,  so   that  it  \ 

instantly   shattered   into   fragments.     Upon    this   Judah 

vcd.  "  lie  is  a  mighty  man,  like  one  of  us." 

Talkut  Vayegash. 
.XnTE. — Compare  Jasher,  chap.  54;  Ber.  Rabbah,  iV'-. 

16.  Abraham  married  three  wives — Sarah,  a  daughter 
-Mm  :   K-tnrah,  a  daughter  of  Japheth  ;  and  Hagar,  a 

daughter  of  Ham.  Yalkut,  J<>/>,  chap.  8. 

Note. — Rashi  supposes  that  Keturah  was  one  and  tin.'  same 
with  Hagar—  ><>  tin-  Midrash,  the  Targum  Yerushalmi, 
and  that  of  Jonathan.  The  latter  Bays,  "  Keturah,  she  is 
1 1   gar,  \\\m  had  been  bound  to  him  from  the  beginning," 

as  if  miBp  meant  the  bound  one,  from  "\\2p,  to  bind  or 
tie;  hut  Aben  Ezra  and  most  of  the  commentators  con- 

*  Day  of  Atonement. 


CHAPTER  XV.  291 

tend  that  Keturah  and  Hagai  are  two  distil] 
and  the  use  of  the  plural  DtPJ^Bj  concubines,  in  vera 
them  out  in  this  assertion, 

1;.  The  Boly  One — ble    ed  be  He !— daily  proclaims  a 
law  in  the  heavenly  court,  and  even  rill  these  w 
known  to  Abraham,  Yalkut,  Job,  chap.  37. 

1   .  A  Genii!  asked  Rabbi  Foshua  ben  K 

"Is        •         that   ye   say  your  <  I  I  he  future  \ " 

Tln-n  how  is  it  thai  it  is  wril 

A-.  :  ;•    rieved  Him  at  His  heart  .' " "     "E 

"  replied  the  Rabbi,  "ever  had  a  boy  born  to  thee?" 

■  Y  the  <  II  rejoiced  and  made  others 

'.  itii  ni^.'     ■  1 1      •   •      ;   :    I   know  that  he  would 

.tually  die  ' "'  ask  "  5T<       answer*  I  the 

>y  is  joy,  and  at  the  time  of 
mourning,  mourning  S  the  Holy  0 

I  i  I  ;.    Be  mourned  before  thi 

I  the  world."  Bereshith  Rdbbdh,  chap.  27. 

19.  All  :  of  the  soul's  mourning  is  from  the 
third  to  the  thirtieth  day,  during  which  time  she 

bill  thinking  her  beloved  might  yet  return  (to 

body  whence  she  departed).      When   she  notices  that 
the  colour  of  ti.  is   changed,  she   leaves  and   goes 

away;  and  this  is  what  is  written  (Job  xiv.  22),  "  But  his 
.  upon  him  shall  have  pain,  and  his  soul  shall  mourn 
:  him."  Then  the  m<»uth  and  the  belly  quarrel  with 
one  another,  the  former  saying  to  the  latter,  "  All  I  have 
robbed  and  taken  by  violence  J  deposited  in  thee;"  and 
the  latter,  having  hurst  three  days  after  its  burial,  sa;. 
to  the  former,  "  There  is  all  thou  hast  robbed  and  taken 
by  violence  !  as  it  is  written  (Eccles.  xii.  6),  '  The  pitcher 
is  broken  at  the  fountain.'  "  Ibid.,  chap.  100. 

20.  Job  said,  "  Even  the  devil  shall  not  dissuade  me 
from  comforting  those  that  mourn  ;  for  I  would  tell  him  that 


292  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY, 

I  am  not  better  than  my  Creator,  who  comforts  Israel ;  as 
it  is  said  (Isa.  li.  12),  rI,  even  I,  am  lie  that  comforteth 
you.'  "  Psikta  Nachmu. 

21.  Once  Rabbi  Shimon  hen  Yehozedek  addressed 
Rabbi  Sh'muel  hen  Nachman  and  said,  "I  hear  that  thou 
art  a  Baal  Aggadah;  canst  thou  therefore  tell  me  whence 
the  light  was  created?"  "W  I  rn,w  he  replied  in  a 
whisper,  "  that  God  wrap]  1  Bimself  with  light  as  with 
a  garment,  and  Ee  has  caused  the  Bplendour  thereof  to 
shine  from  one  end  of  the  world  to  v..  ther 

'.   "Why  whi  thou,]  wonder,  since  Scripture 

3  bo  plainly  (Ps.  civ.  2)  'Who  covereth  Himself  with 
light  as  with  a  garment1  \n  The  reply  was,  "  I  heard  it 
in  a  whisper,  and  in  a  whisper  I  have  told  it  to  th< 

R  1  bbah,  chap.  3. 

22.  "  As  the  tents  of  K    '  r  *'  (<  lant.  i.  5).     As  t] 

of  the  Ishmaelites  are  ugly  without  and  comely  within, 
Iso  the  disciples  of  the  wise,  though  apparently  want- 
ing in  beauty,  are  nevertheless  full  of  Scripture,  and  of 
Mishnah  and  of  the  Talmud,  of  the  Halacha  and  of 
loth.  oth  Rabbah,  chap.  23. 

23.  "Write  thou  these  wordfi  Exod.  xxxiv.  37).  That 
applies  to  the  Law,  the  Pn  the  II  r  pha, 
which  were  given  in  writing,  but  not  to  the  Halachoth,  the 
Midrashim,  the  Aggadoth,  and  the  Talmud,  which  were 
given  by  the  mouth.                                      Ibid.,  chap.  47. 

24.  Rabbi  Samlai  said  to  Rabbi  Yonathan,  "  Instruct 

me  in  the  Aggada."  The  latter  replied,  "  We  have  a  tradi- 
tion from  our  forefathers  not  to  instruct  either  a  Baby- 
lonian or  a  Daromean  in  the  Aggada,  for  though  they  are 
deficient  in  knowledge  they  are  haughty  in  spirit." 

Tal.  Yemshalmi  P'sacJiim,  v.  fol.  32,  col.  1. 

25.  He  who  transcribes  the  Aggada  has  no  portion  in 


CHAPTER  XV. 


293 


the  world  to  come  ;  lie  who  ex;  it  is  excommuni- 

cated; and  he  who  Listens  I  Ltion  of  it  shall 

receive  no  reward. 

!'■'..  Tertuhcdmi  Psachim^  Shabbat\  xvi.  fol  $0,  col  2. 

26.   "  Day  unto  day  ntt« •:  h  "  |  Ps.  IJ 

this  means  the  Lam  >phets,  and  the  li        jrapha. 

nd  night  onto  night  showeth  knowlei       j    bhia  is  the 
Mishnaioth.    "  There  is  □  b  01  Language  wh 

•  he  1 1  dachoth.  "  Their  line 

Ogfa  all  the  earth  ;"  tl. 
U    b  H:-  .::■  at  1. 

J .         i  Alt't/m,  chap,  2 

R  bbi    Fi     miah,  the  bod  of  EHazar,  said,  "When 
the  Holy  ( >ne — blessed  !><•  II"  [—create  1  Adam,  II 

him  an  DWIVnjN,  fur  i:  .  v,  2  ,  '  Male  and 

Rabbi  Sh'muel  bar  Nachman 
said,  ■  ■  \\':.  d   •       li    y  One — blessed   be   He  I— en 

!  i  bed  him  with  two  faces  ;  then  il 

him  asunder,  and  split  him  fin  two  ,  making  one  hack  to 
:  ae-half,  and  another  to  the  other. 

Midrash  Rabbah,  chap.  -S. 
Nora— The  term  DWJ1TMN       •  bransliteratioD  of  the  Greek 
'A  :.  a  man,  and  yuwy,  woman, 

I.  -in  l'^nn  Androgynua 

And  it  repented  the  Lord  that  He  had  made  man 
im)  on  the  earth,  and  it  grieved  Him  at    His  heart" 
(Gen.  vi  6).     Rabbi  Berachi  bhatwheu  God  was 

about  to  en  im,  He  foresaw  thai  both  righteous 

people  and  wicked  people  would  come  forth  from  him. 
He  reas  >ned  therefore  with  Himself  thus: — "If  I  create 
him,  then  will  the  wicked  proceed  from  him;  but  if  I  do 
not  create  him,  how  then  shall  the  righteous  come  forth  ? " 
What  then  did  God  do?  He  separated  the  ways  of  the 
wicked  from  before  Him,  and  assuming  the  attribute 
of  mercy,  so  lie  created  him.  This  explains  what  is 
written  (Pa  i.  6),  "For  the  Lord  knoweth  the  way  uf  the 


294  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

righteous,  but  the  way  of  the  wicked  shall  be  lost."  The 
way  of  the  wicked  was  lost  before  Him,  but  assuming  to 
Himself  the  attribute  of  mercy,  He  created  him.  Rabbi 
Chanina  Bays,  ID  xb,  "  It  was  uot  bo  !  But  when  God  was 
aboutto  create  Adam,  He  consulted  the  ministering  angels 
and  said  unto  them  (Gen.  i.  26),  'Shall  we  make  man  in 
our  image  after  our  likeness  V  They  replied,  '  For  what 
good  wilt  thou  create  him?'  He  responded, ' That  the 
righteous  may  rise  out  of  him.'  This  explains  what  Lb 
written,  'Fur  the  Lord  knoWeth  the  way  of  the  righteous, 
but  the  way  of  the  wicked  shall  be  lost.1  God  informed 
them  only  about  the  righteous,  but  He  lid  nothing  about 
the  wicked,  otherwise  the  ministering  angels  would  not 
have  given  their  consent  that  man  should  be  created." 

B       ■   "    E  ibbahy  chap  S. 

29.  Rabbi  Hoshaiah  said,  "When  God  created  Adam 
the  ministering  angels  mistook  him  for  a  divine  being, 
and  were  about  tosay,'Holy!  holy!  holy!'  before  him. 
But  God  can  to  fall  upon  Adam,  bo  that  all 
knew  he  was  only  a  man.     This  explains  what  is  written 

.  ii.  22),    1  "in  man,  whose  breath  is  in  his 

:!s;  for  wherein  is  lie  to  be  accounted  of?"     Ibid. 

30.  Rabbi  Yochanan  saith,  "Adam  and  Eve  seemed 
as  if  they  were  about  twenty  years  old  when  they  were 

•  ed."  Ibid.,  chap.  14. 

31.  1:  v  A  ha  said  when  God  was  about  to  create  Adam 
He  consulted  the  ministering  angels,  and  asked  them, 
saying,  u  Shall  we  make  man  ? "  They  inquired,  "  Of  what 
good  will  this  man  I  He  replied,  "His  wisdom  will 
be  greater  than  yours."  One  day,  therefore,  He  brought 
together  the  cattle,  the  beasts,  and  the  birds,  and  a 
them  the  name  of  them  severally,  but  they  knew  not.  He 
then  caused  them  to  pass  before  Adam,  and  asked  him, 
"  What  is  the  name  of  this  and  the  other  ? "    Then  Adam 


CHAPTER  XV. 

an  ox,  r  :  An  I 

thou,  why  is  thy  aai  .  in   Eebr<  w,  i 

■  1  1  Adam,"  was  i. 

mail  "  (HD1N  =  the  -round).    "  And  what 
isMy  i  ■   1;   :    ::.    :  Th  u   b  uldstbe  <    Qed  Lord, 

Lord  o\   :•  all    i  R  iv  Acha 

I  am  the   Lord,  tl    I   is  M  j  aa    e '     [sa. 
My  name  whi  Hi    I  Me.'  " 

B  •  R       '/',  chap.  1 7. 

Ldam  waa  skilled  in  all  manner 
\V:.  of  this  '.     It  is  Baid  (Isa. 

.  1  i),  "  And  the  artisans,  they  are  m." 

/      .  1  b  ip,  24. 

bid  the  I.  :  I  3ai  1,  I  will  destroy  man "   I  V  a.  \ :. 
Levi     a  the  nam''  of  Rabbi  Sochanan,  says 
that  even  mi  ed.     Rabbi  Yuda,  id 

name  of  B  the  very  du 

n  was  destroyed.     R  ibl  i  Yn  la,  in  the  name  of  Rabbi 
Shimon,  insists  iTTWI  yo  n1?  1T9N,  even  the  resurrection) 
the  spine,  from  which  <  rod  will  one  day  cause  man 
broyed.         1    ■'..  1 1  tp,  - 

Note.     Concern!]  ae,  N},  th  ■"'-',  there  is  an 

•   :v  in  Midrash  Kohelet  (foL  1  1  4,  3),  which 

may   be  appropriately  inserted  here.      Hadrian   (whose 

iy  they  be  ground,  and  his  name  blotted  out) 

asked   R  1        J  l  ( !hanania,  "  From  what 

.-hall  the  human  frame  1"-  reconstructed  when  il 

Luz  in  the  backboi  I  he  answer. 

ve  this  to  me,"  said  Hadrian.    Then  the  Rabbi  took 

.  a  small  bone  of  the  spine, and  immersed  it  in  water, 

but  it  v.  ftened  ;  he  put  it  into  the  fire,   but 

it  v  uni  d  ;    he    put   it   into  a  mill,   but    it 

I  not  be  pound"  d  ;  he  placed  it  upon  an  anvil  and 

Btruck  it  with  a  hammer,  bul   the  anvil  split  and  the 

hammer  was  bros  also  Zohar  in  "  1 

206,  1 

34.  "A  window  Bhalt  thou  make  to  the  ark"  (Gen.  vi. 
16;.     Babbi  Aroma  says,  "  It  was  a  real  window."    Rabbi 


296  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

L  vi,  on  the  other  hand, maintained  that  it  was  a  precious 
stone,  and  that  during  the  twelve  months  Noah  was  in 
the  ark  lie  had  no  need  of  the  light  of  the  sun  by  day  nor 
of  the  moon  by  night  because  of  that  stem',  which  he  had 
•  suspended,  and  he  knew  that  it  was  day  when  it  was 
dim,  and  night  when  it  sparkle  1. 

B  .■■  b/  'th  Rabbah,  chap.  31. 
Notel — The  "lnv  as  transparency,  ascribed  to  the  ark,  has  given 
;<>  various  conjectures  which  we  cannot   find 
for  here.     The  idea  of  Rabbi  Levi,  thai  it  was  a  precious 
Btone,   has  the  Banctiou  of  the  Targum   of  Jonathan; 
which  volunteers  the  additional  information  that  th 
was  found  in  the  river  Pison. 

35.  Noah  w  ::t  in  faith,  for  he  did  not  enter  the 
ark  till  the  water  was  up  to  his  ankles.     Ibid.,  chap.  32. 

36.  "And  he  sent  forth  a  raven"  (Gen.  viii.  7).  The 
raven    remonstrated,   remarking,   "From    all   th 

-.  and  fowls  thou  "  What 

•  world  for  I  Noah;  "  thou  art 

I  neither  for  f  od  nor   \<>v  sacrifice."     Rabbi  Elii 

l  I  Noah  •  »rld 

would  one  day  be  of  him.     "  When  ■  "  asked  Noah. 

'•When  the  wa;  .  up  from  off  the  earth,  there. 

will  in  a  time  t<  hteous  man  \\  ho 

shall  dry  up  the  world,  and  then  I  shall  want  it."     This 

explains  what  is  written  (l  Kings  xvii.  6),  "  And  the  ravens 

brought  him  bread  and  flesh  in  the  morni] 

J  id.,  chap.  2,3- 

37.  At  the  time  God  said  to  the  serpent,  "Upon  thy 
belly  thou  shalt  go"  (Gen.  iii.  14),  the  ministering  angels 
descended  and  lopped  off  his  hands  and  his  feet.  Then 
his  voice  was  heard  from  one  end  of  the  world  to  the 
other.  Bereshith  Midrash  Rabbah,  chap.  20. 

38.  "When  God  said  to  the  serpent,  "And  upon  thy  belly 
thou  shalt  go  "  (Gen.  iii.  14),  the  serpent  replied,  "  Lord 


CHAPTER  XV.  297 

of  the  universe  I  if  '  Thy  will,  then  I  shall 

t  without  feet."     Bui  when  God  Baid  to  him, 
■  And  dust  shalt  thou  eat,"  he  replied,  u  If  fish  1 
then  I  also  will  Then  G  [zed  hold  of  the 

•  mgue  in  two,  and  Baid,  "O  thou 
t  c  mmen<  q)  with  thy  evil 

ae;  thus  I  will  proclaim  it  to  all  that  come  into  the 
thy  tongue  that  can  all  this." 

/.  H  n  of  Rabl  i  Aki 

'.:    I    X     .li    only    : 

ban,  who  s  a  beam  of  the  iadi 

(which  proji  Noah  and 

his  •   he  would  be  their  slaw-  r,    Noah 

made  a  hole  in  the  ark  through  which  be  handed  to  - 
his  d  1  id  (Deut. 

iii.  1  1  \   •  Foi 

tJTBab,  chap.  23. 

N<  Liluvian  fable  in  regard  to 

7,  and  chap,  xiii.  No.  1 1. 

40.  "  Onto  Adam  1  Lord  <  rod  make 

.  iii  2  1  .  viz.,  to  coi  c  naked- 

;  bu1    with   what  \     With  fringes   and   phylact< 

viz.,  the  leathern  Btraps  of  the  phylac- 
teries;  "and   th<  i   fig-leaves"   (Gen.  iii.  7;. 

fringes ; M  and  made  then  this  means  JINHp 

yotP,  the  proclaiming  of  the  Shema,  "Hear,  0  I 

YaZkut  ChadasJu 

Note.  The  "njj  nwrD»  which  Borne  (as  Rashi,  f  or  instance) 
take  to  denote  furs,  the  Taignm  of  Jonathan  Bays  were 
made  "from  the  skin  of  the  si  rp  m."     The  wardrobe  of 

A  lam    ifl  •  ••   :       came  into  the  possession  of  Esau  and 
Jacob  l  STon.  in  Toledoth,  ami  p.  199,  iS'o.  161, 

ante). 

41.  All  the  presents  which  our  father  Jacob  gave  to 
Ivan  will  one  day  be  returned  by  the  nations  of  the  world 
to  the  Messiah,  and  the  proof  of  this  is  (Ps.  lxxii.   10), 


29S  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

"The  kings  of  Tarshish  and  the  isles  shall  return  pre- 

."   nncp  vbn  1*0  avia  pa  ixin*.    it  is  not  written 

here,  "  They  shall  bring"  but  they  Bhall  restore  or  return. 
Midrash  Rabbah  Vayishlach,  chap.  78. 

42.  A  philosopher  once   posed    Ral  T  with  the 
question,  "Does  not  the  pro]             y  (Mai.  i.  4), 'They 

.1  build,  but  T  will  throw  down  V  and  do  uot  build- 
still  exist?"  To  which  the  Rabbi  answered, " The 
prophet  does  not  speak  of  buildings,  but  of  the  schemes 
of  designers.  Ye  all  think  to  contrive  and  build  up 
devices,  to  destroy  and  make  an  end  of  us,  but  Be 
bringeth  your  counsels  to  nought.  He  throweth  them 
down,  so  that  your  devices  ;r_rii:i-t  us  have  no  efl 
"By  thy  life,"  said  the  philosopher,  " it  is  even  so;  we 
meet  annually  for  ;;.  of  compassing  your  ruin, 

but  a  certain  old  man  comes  and  all  our  proji 

(namely,  Elijah).  Yalkut  Malachi. 

43.  When  Israel  came,  out  of   1  mael  rose  to 
accuse  them, and  thu              ke: — "Lord of  the  drive 

bill  now  worshipped  idols,  and  art  Thou  going 
to  divide  the  sea  for  such  1  What  did  the  B 

One — blessed  be  He! — then  do  '.  J  <\  one  of  Pharaoh's 
high  counsellors,  of  whom  it  is  written  (Job  i.  1 ;,  "That 
man  was  and  upright,"  He  took  and  delivered  to 

SamaeL,  saying,  as  lie  did  so,  "  Behold,  he  is  in  thy  hand  ; 
do  with  him  as  thou  pleasest."  God  thought  to  divert 
Ins  evil  designs  by  keeping  him  thus  occupied  with  Job, 
that  Israel  meanwhile  might  cross  the  sea  without  any 
hindrance,  after  which  lie  wrould  return  and  rescue  Job 
from  his  tender  mercies.  God  then  said  to  Moses,  "  1  - 
hold  I  have  delivered  Job  to  Satan ;  make  haste.  Speak 
unto  the  children  of  Israel  that  they  go  forward  "  (Exod. 
xiv.  15).  Midrash  Rabbah  Shemoth,  chap.  21. 

44.  No    man    ever  received  a   mite   (in  charity)  from 


CHAPTER  XV. 

and  needed  to  receive  bucL 
of  the  good-luck  it  brought  along  with 

M      '     .  S        ■.'•'.  z\. 

N    :: .     A    mj    rstiti  E  prevails  1 

mong  tl.  .:i  population  aa  well  as  the 

J(  '•  -.  I  b  .'  dned  in  i  rcumstances  bring 

luck  apart  altogether  from  any  virtue  they  may  I 

A  penny  obtai] 
.  the  first  thing  in  the  morning,  by  Btumblii       d 
it  in  the  street,  by  the  in  article  in  the  market, 

or  bj  1  tii  bode  luck,  and  che- 

l  as  a  pl<  :  >rtune  by  being  Blight]  • 

upon  several  times  on  i  ad  then  carefully  Btowed 

actum, 
the  Inckii  bat  ever  lived  ;  bis  vn  . 

to  kill  the  wolves  tl. . 
devour  them  ;  and  a  1 

from  bis  1 1 .  i : .  Deeded  ai 

alms  from  him  again.       3      "Gen*  ling  to  the 

Talmud,"  p.  .  16.) 

inl  Bald  unto  the  K 
for  ye  showed   kind]         I       11  I    ael "' 

(i  S  6).     And  did  they  show  kindness  to  all  the 

children  oi    Israel       N  >j  but  what  is  written  is  to  teach 
he  who  :  ;  the  wise  as  a  guest  into 

his  luui  1  to  drink,  is  as  if  he  had 

wn  kindness  to  all  the  children  of  [sraeL 

Midrash  Stimuel,  chap.  iS. 

46.  Rabbi   Levi  says,  "When  Solomon  introduced  the 
ark  into  the  Tempi.',  all  the  woodwork  thereof  h 
with  sap  and  began  to  yield  fruit,  asit  is  said  (Ps.  xcii. 
13),  ■  ,  that  be  planted  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  shall 

flourish   in  the  courts  of  our  God.'    And  thus   it   con- 
tinued  to   bear   fruit,   which    abundantly  supplied   the 
juveniles  of  the  priestly  caste  till  the  time  of  Manas 
but  he,  by  introducing  an  image  into  the  Temple, 
the  Shechinah  to  depart  and  the  fruit  to  wither;  as  it  is 
said  (Null,  i.  4),  'And  the  llower  of  Lebanon  languished/" 

Mui  rash  Till  in  Terumah. 


3oo  A   TALMUD IC  MISCELLANY. 

47.  The  land  of  Israel  is  situated  in  the  centre  of  the 
world,  and  Jerusalem  in  the  centre  of  the  land  of  Israel, 
and  the  Temple  in  the  centre  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  Holy 
of  holies  in  the  centre  of  the  Temple,  and  the  7PIW  pN, 
foundation-stone  on  which  the  world  was  grounded,  is 
situated  in  front  of  the  ark. 

Midra&h  Tittin  Terumah,  Kedoshim. 

Note. — In  Ezek.  v.  5  we  read,  "  I  have  set  Jerusalem  in  the 
midst  of  the  nations  and  countries  thai  are  round  about 
her."  On  the  literal  interpretation  of  these  words  it 
rted  that  Jerusalem  was  the  very  centre  of  the 
world,  or,  as  Jerome  quaintly  called  it,  "the  navel  of 
the  earth.''  In  the  Talmud  we  find  a  beautiful  meta- 
phor in  illustration  of  this  view.  It  is  in  the  Last  six 
lines  of  the  ninth  chapter  of  Derech  Eretz  Zuta,  which 
read  thus: — "  [ssi  ben  Sochanan,  in  the  name  of  She- 
muel  Hakaton,  .  'The  world  is  like  the  eyeball  of 
man  ;  the  white  ie  0  which  surrounds  the  world, 

the  black  is  the  world  itself,  the  pupil  is  Jerusalem, 
and  tin;  image  in  the  pupil  is  the  Temple.  May  it  be 
built   in  our  own  days,  and   in  the  days  of  all    I 

■u  ! '  ■"     The  memory  of  this  conceit  is  kept  alive  to 
this  day  among  the  Greek  Christians,  who  still  Bhow  the 
1  hurch  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  at 
i.      This   notion    is   not   confined   to   Jewry. 
Classic  readers  will  at  once  call  to  mind  the  appellation 
Omphalos   01   navel   applied   t  pie   at    Delphi 

(Pindar,  Pyth.,  iv.  131,  vi.  3;  Eurip.  Ion.,  461 ;  iEsch. 
Choeph.,  1034;  Euni.  40,  167;  Strabo,  & 

48.  Two  sparks  issued  from  between  the  two  cherubim 
and  destroyed  the  serpents  and  scorpions  and  burned  the 
thorns  in  the  wilderness.  The  smoke  thereof,  rising  and 
spreading,  perfumed  the  world,  so  that  the  nations  said 
(Cant.  iii.  6),  "  Who  is  this  that  cometh  out  of  the  wilder- 
ness like  pillars  of  smoke,  perfumed,"  &c 

Ibid.,  Vayalchcl. 

49.  Better  to  lodge  in  the  wilderness  of  the  land  of 
Israel  than  dwell  in  the  palaces  outside  of  it. 

Midrash  Rabbah,  chap.  39. 

50.  "And  give  thee  a  pleasant   land"  (man  y~)N\  a 


CHAPTER  XV. 


301 


land)  (.Tor.  iii.  19).    Why  is  it  called  a  cov 
land  '     B  the  T  :..;  '■■  '■••    •  in 

why  it  v.  the  fathers  of  the  world 

havi  I  it     Rabbi  Shimon  ben  Levi  Bay       l; 

'who  are  buried)  there  will  first  to  I 

in  the  <lu}  R  •       ....  32. 

51.  ••  V  hall  enlarge  thy  border, 

th  promi  2         Ra       \  .     ihak 

I  U  no  man  knows  how  Long  and  how  1 

but  when  unroll  If,  and  shows  how 

I  •      .so  with  tin-  Land  !,  which,  for 

:'  hills  and  mountains ;  but  when 

I !    ly   <  >:••- 1  i  level    it.  as   i; 

v  moun- 

and  hill  shall  be  ma  I  and  the  crooked  shall  be 

made  straight,  and  the  rough  places  smooth,'  then  shall 

:it  stand 
I>l:  ■:'"tJt,  cha}>.  4. 

52.  1  '  who  dwell  in  the  land  of  Israel,  for 

have  no  -in,  no  iniquity,  either  in  their  lives  or  in 
their  d  M  Ira  :  >:    ■'<  rr  Too  on  Pa.  Ixxxv. 

53.  "Better  i<  a  dry  morsel  and  quietm  with" 
(Prov,  xvii.  1).    This,8aith  Rabbi,  means  the  land  of  1 

for  even  it'  a  man  have  nothing  b  I  and  salt  to 

:f  he  dwells  in  the  Land  ut'  [srael  be  is  sure  that  he  is 

•  world  to  "  Than  a  house  full  of  sacri- 

•  rife."     1  XHkX)  »T20n,  outsi 

the  land,  which  i<  full  of  robbery  and  violence.     Rabbi 

X Bays,  *"  II  walks  but  an  hour  in  the  land  of 

[srael  and  ti.  within  it  may  feel  assured  that  he  is 

a  of  the  world  to  come  ;  for  it  is  written  (  Deut  xxxii. 

43),  Vty  VttTW  1931,  '  And  his  earth  shall  atone  for  his 

people.1 "  M '  Ir  <  \  Mi&hle. 

NOTB. — Sec  also   the  Talmud,   Kethuboth,   foL    in,  CoL    1. 


3o2  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY, 

Pr.  Benisch  renders  i»r>  irrns  ")ED1  "and  make  expiation 
for  Bis  ground  and  His  people."  The  Targums  of  Jona- 
than and  the  Yerushalmi  have,  "He  will  make  atone- 
ment f<»r  Bis  land  and  for  His  people ; "  and  Onkelos 
pnts  it  thns,  "He  will  show  mercy  unto  Bis  land  and 
His  people."  Our  rendering,  however,  is  in  accordance 
with  the  sense  given  to  it  in  the  Talmud  (see  "Gem 
according  to  the  Talmud,"  p.  224,  No.  11).  There  are 
Jews  who  travel  about   the  world  with  ba  <  irth 

fr^iu  the  Holy  Land,  which  they  sell  in  .-mall  quantities 
for  high  prices  to  such  as  can  afford  it.  and  believe  in  its 
virtue  as  a  protection  against  the  worms  of  the  grave. 

54.  Jerusalem  is  the  light  of  the  world;  as  it  is  said, 
"And  the  Gentiles  shall  con  ly  light "  (Isa.  lx.  3). 
And  the  light  of  Jerusalem  is  the  Holy  One — blessed  be 
Bi  ! — as  it  is  written,  but  "the  Lord  shall  be  unto  thee  an 
everlasting  light"  (Isa.  lx.  19). 

Bi  reshith  Rabbah,  chap.  59. 

55.  Ten  portions  of  wisdom,  ten  p  E  the  law,  and 
ten  portions  of  hypocrisy  are  in  the  world;  nine  portions 

•h  are  in  the  land  of  Israel  and  one  outside  of  it. 

Mir  I--'1*  J,'  ibbah  Est) 

56.  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  from  one  new  moon 
to  another,  and  from  one  Sabbath  to  another,  shall  all  flesh 
come  to  worship  before  Me,  saith  the  Lord "  (Isa  Ixvi.  23). 
But  how  is  it  possible  that  all  flesh  shall  come  evi  ry  new 

moon  and  Sabbath  to  Jerusalem?     Rabl  ith,  "In 

the  future  Jerusalem  will  be  as  the  land  of  Israel,  and  the 
land  of  Israel  will  be  as  the  whole  world."  But  how  will 
they  come  from  the  end  of  the  world  every  new  moon  and 
Sabbath?  "The  clouds  will  come  and  carry  them  and 
bring  them  to  Jerusalem,  where  they  will  perform  their 
morning  prayer,  and  will  carry  them  back  to  their  several 
tnes;  and  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  prophet's  saying 
(Isa.  lx.  8),  'Who  are  these  that  fly  as  a  cloud  (in  the 
morning),  and  as  the  doves  to  their  windows  (in  the 
evening;  [ '  "  Pesikta. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


3°3 


"~.      ','.      I     <1  and  measured  the  earth "(Hab.  iii.  6). 
I;       i   Shimon  ben   Yochai   ex]  >od   and 

Holy  I  >ne — bl<  sse  1   be    He  I — 

1  all  the  nations,  and  He  found  none  worthy  to 

pt  the  d  in  the  wildern 

1  all  the  mount  found  none  on 

which  to  give  the  lav  Mount  Sinai     He  measured 

all  cities,  and  found  none  in  which  to  build  the  Temple 

II      mi  .    and    found 

iven  unto  [srael  now 

calh-d  the  land  <>f   [srai  1.      Ihia  it  is  that  is  written,  "  He 
ap  and  : 

I  '   R      '  i/t,  cha;  . 

••  I  w<  the  mountai] 

(Jonah  ii.  '   .    I 

ated  •  Id's  "  foundat  jank 

under  the  Temple  <-f  tic  I.  i  ..  and  upon 

:  band   and   pi  .v.        1  ated 

i  aim.  ••  Jonah,  behold 
thou  art  standi;  ;  he  Lord  ;  there- 

-.  i  thou  Bhalt  l»e  answered." 

/'//-.        h        /"        \  •  hap.  10. 

59.  "  And  •  from  the  Lord  "  I  Lev.  x. 

A  *         \        L  Saitl  -  if  lire  cane  out  from 

Holy  of  holies,  and  tt  disparted  into  four :  two 

red  the  e  F  the  one         Nadab),  and  two  ent( 

the  nostrils  of  the  other  (%.€,,  Abihu  .  and  thus  consumed 
them.     Tl  but  not  their  garments  \ 

for  i:  <r.  and  carried  them  in 

their  a  5).  Torath  Cohanim^  sec.  Shemini. 

60.  Rabbi  Jacob  teaches  that  he  who  has  no  wife  abideth 
with  I,  without  help,  without  joy,  without  blessing 
or  atonement,  to  which  Rabbi  Xehoshua  ben  Levi  adds, 
i  1  also  without  peace  or  life.  Rabbi  Cheya  says  that 
lie  is  not  a  perfect  man,  for  it  is  said,  "  And  blessed  them 


3o4  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

and  called  their  name  man"  ((Ion.  v.  2),  where  both  are 
spoken  of  together  as  one  man. 

Midrash  Rabbdh  Bereshith,  chap.  17. 

Note. — See  also  Yevamoth,  foL  63,  col  r,  and  compare  the 
saying  that  "Woman  is  an  unfinished  vessel"  .  .  . 
(Sanhedrin,  foL  22,  coL  2,  and  Rashi.) 

61.  "My  beloved  is  like  a  roe"  (1  Cant.  ii.  9).     Ajg  a 
Leaps  and  skips  from  bush  to  bush,  from  covert  to 

.  so  likewise  does  the  Holy 
—blessed  be  He! — pass  from 

lemy  to  academy,  that  He  may  bl       I     1  1. 

P    ikta. 

C)2.  (('ant.  v.  1  >.  "I  came  bito  My  garden,"  the  syna- 
iies  and  aca  lemies  ;  "  My  Bister,  My  Bpouse,"  the  con- 
ationof  [srael;  u  1  i  ered  Mymyrrh  with  My 

Bpice,"  the  Bible  (that  is);  "  I  ha^  My  honeycomb 

withMy  honey,"  elds  means)  the  Halachoth,  Midrashoth, 
andAggadoth;  "I  have  drank  My  wine  with  My  milk," 
this  alludes  to  the  good  works  which  arc  reserved  for  the 

r  that,  '   E   • .  '  I  !   drink.  ;. 

drink  freely,  0  L!"      )        \  /.'"■.-.  foL  41,  coL  2. 

65.  When  Solomi  □  k  into  the  Temple 

and  said.  "  hi;':  up  youT  head     I  I  j  I  and  the  King 

U  come  in,"  the  gates  were  ready  to  fall  upon 
him  and  crush  his  head,  and  fchey  would  have  done  so 
if  he  had  not  said  at  once,  "The  Lord  of  hosts,  11    is  the 
King  of  glory"  (Ps.  xxiv.  9,  10).     The  Holy  One — bles 
be  He! — then  said   to  tl  tes,  "Since   ye   have  thus 

honoured  Me,  by  your  lives !  when  I  destroy  My  Temple, 
no  man  shall  have  dominion  over  you!"  This  was  to 
inform  us  that  while  all  the  •  of  the  Temple  were 

carried  into  captivity,  the  gates  of  the  Temple  were  stored 
away  on  the  very  spot  where  they  were  erected ;  for  it  is 
said  (Lam.  ii.  9),  "  Her  pates  are  sunk  into  the  ground." 
Midrash  Rabbdh  Devarim,  chap.  15. 


CHAPTER  XV.  305 

Note.     We  are  reminded  ol  this  traditioo  in  tin-  r;^*:':. 

Lusion  service  for  Yom    happur,  where   we  repeat, 
■  ■•••lily  thou  Bhalt  open   the  hidden  gates  to  those 
who  hold  East  Thy  law."     The  allusion  is  to  "  the  gal 
the    l  which  u  are  supposed  to  be  sunk  in  the 

ml.'' 

64.  Rabbi   \  ace  met  on  a  journey  a  remarkably 
j  man  toiling  along  ui  reat  load  of  wood.    Rabbi 

Akiva  Bald  onto  him,  u  I  adjure  thee  to  tell  me  whi 
thou  art  a  man  or  a  demon.*1    w  Rabbi,"  said  la'."  1  waa 
once  a  man,  and  it  La  now  Borne  time  Bince  I  Left   the 

[  have  1  a  Load  like  this, 

under  which  1  '1  to  bow  down,  and  Bubmit  three 

day  to  I"-  burned        .     ■   '.:  jked  him, 

\\  ;    •   -.       •  punishment  i "  and 

I  committed  an  immorality  on  tin1  Day  of 
I        I;  jked  him  if  he  knew  of  any- 

thing by  which  I  tain  for  him  a  remission  of 

punishment.     "  I  do,"  wa  w  er.     "  Wlien  a    on 

whom  1  haye  L<  R  behind  me  is  called  up  to  the  (public) 
reading  of  the  Law,  and  shall  say,  l  Blessed  be  the 
Lord,'  I  shall  be  drawn  out  of  hell  and  taken  into  Paradise." 
The  Rabbi  qo1  me  of  the  man  and  his  dwell- 

ing-place, whither  he  afterwards  went  and  mud-'  inquiries 
about  him.     The  people  of  the  place  on)  ed,"The 

name  of  the  wicked  shall  rol  "  Prov.  x.  7).  Notwithstand- 
ing this,  the  Rabbi  insisted,  and  .-aid, "  Bring  his  son  to  me." 
When  they  brought  him.  he  taught  the  Lad  to  repeat  the  bles- 
Bing,  which  he  did  on  the  en  1  Sabbath  at  the  public 
ling  of  the  Law  ;  upon  which  his  father  was  immediately 
removed  from  hell  to  Paradise.  On  the  self-same  night 
the  father  repaired  direct  to  Rabbi  Akiva,  and  gratefully 
expressed  his  hope  that  the  Rabbi's  mind  might  be  as  much 
at  rest  as  his  own  was.  Midrash  Assereth  Hadibroht. 

N<>te. — Sue  infrOj  No.  S3. 

65.  There  are  three  things  which  a  man  dues  not  wish 

0 


306  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

for : — Grass  to  grow  up  among  his  grain-crops ;  to  have  a 
daughter  among  his  children  ;  or  that  his  wine  should  turn 
to  vinegar.  Yet  all  these  three  are  ordained  to  be,  for  the 
world  stands  in  need  of  them.  Therefore  it  is  said,  "  0 
Lord,  my  God,  Thou  art  very  great !  ...  He  causeth  the 
grass  to  grow  for  the  cattle"  (Ps.  civ.  I,  14). 

Midrash  Tanchuma. 

66.  There  are  four  cardinal  points  in  the  world,  &c.  The 
north  point  God  created  but  left  unfinished ;  for,  said  He, 
"  Whoever  claims  to  be  God,  let  him  come  and  finish  this 
corner  which  I  have  left,  and  thus  all  will  know  that  he 
is  God."  This  unfinished  corner  is  the  dwelling-place  of 
the  harmful  demons,  ghosts,  devils,  and  storms. 

Pirke  d'Rab.  Eliezer,  chap.  3. 

6j.  A  Min  once  asked  Rabbi  Akiva,  "  Who  created  this 
world?"  "The  Holy  One— blessed  be  He!"— was  the 
reply.  "  Give  me  positive  proof  of  this,"  begged  the  other. 
"  Come  to-morrow,"  answered  the  Rabbi.  On  coming  the 
next  day,  the  Rabbi  asked,  "  What  are  you  dressed  in  ?  " 
"  In  a  garment,"  was  the  reply.  "  Who  made  it  ?  "  asked 
the  Rabbi.  "  A  weaver,"  said  the  other.  "  I  don't  be- 
lieve thee,"  said  the  Rabbi;  "give  me  a  positive  proof  of 
this."  "  I  need  not  demonstrate  this,"  said  the  Min ; 
"  it  stands  to  reason  that  a  weaver  made  it."  "  And  so 
thou  mayest  know  that  God  created  the  world,"  observed 
the  Rabbi.  When  the  Min  had  departed,  the  Rabbi's 
disciples  asked  him,  "  What  is  proof  positive  ? "  He  said, 
"  My  children,  as  a  house  implies  a  builder,  and  a  gar- 
ment a  weaver,  and  a  door  a  carpenter,  so  likewise  the 
existence  of  the  world  implies  that  the  Holy  One — blessed 
be  He  ! — created  it."  Midrash  Terumah. 

68.  "When  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — created  the 
world,  it  was  a  level  expanse  free  from  mountains ;  but 
when  Cain  slew  Abel  his  brother,  whose  blood  was  trod- 


CHAPTER  XV.  307 

den  down  on  the  earth,  He  cursed  the  ground,  and  im- 
mediately hills  and  mountains  sprang  into  existence. 

Midrash  Vayosha. 

6g.  "The  Lord  your  God  hath  multiplied  you,  and  he- 
hold  ye  are  this  day  as  the  stars  of  heaven  for  multitude  " 
(I)eut.  i.  10).  Why  did  He  bless  them  with  stars?  As 
there  are  degrees  above  degrees  among  these  stars,  so 
likewise  are  there  degrees  above  degrees  among  Israel. 
Again,  as  these  stars  are  without  limit,  without  number, 
and  of  great  power  from  one  end  of  the  world  to  the  other, 
so  likewise  is  Israel.     (Cf.  1  Cor.  xv.  41.) 

Midrash  Rabbali  Devarim. 

70.  "  Flee,  my  beloved  "  (A.  V.  "  make  haste,"  Cant.  viii. 
14).  When  Israel  eat  and  drink,  and  bless  and  praise 
the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! — He  hearkeneth  to  their 
voice  and  is  reconciled ;  but  when  the  Gentiles  eat  and 
drink,  and  blaspheme  and  provoke  the  Holy  One — blessed 
be  He ! — He  has  a  mind  to  destroy  His  world,  until  the 
Law  enters  and  pleads  in  defence,  "  Lord  of  the  universe ! 
before  Thou  regardest  those  that  blaspheme,  look  and  be- 
hold Thy  people  Israel,  who  bless,  and  praise,  and  extol 
Thy  great  Name,  with  the  Law,  and  with  songs  and  with 
praises ! "  And  the  Holy  Spirit  shouts,  "  Flee,  my  be- 
loved !  flee  from  the  Gentiles,  and  hold  fast  to  Israel ! " 

Midrash  Rabbah  Shir-Hashirim. 

71.  Eabbon  Gamaliel  called  on  Chilpa,  the  son  of 
Caroyna,  when  the  latter  asked  the  Eabbi  to  pray  on  his 
behalf ;  and  he  prayed,  "  The  Lord  grant  thee  according 

to  thine  own  heart "  (Ps.  xx.  4).     Eabbi  H ,  son  of 

Eabbi  Isaac,  said,  "  It  was  not  so ;  he  prayed  thus, '  The 
Lord  fulfil  all  thy  petitions ; '"  for  a  man  often  thinks  in 
his  heart  to  steal  or  commit  some  other  transgression, 
and  therefore  '  The  Lord  grant  thee  according  to  thine 
own  heart,'  is  a  prayer  not  to  be  offered  on  behalf  of  every 


3o3  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

man."     But  the  answer  was,  "  His  heart  was  perfect  before 
his  Creator,  and  therefore  he  did  so  pray  on  his  behalf." 

Midrash  Shochar  Tov,  20. 

72.  Thou  wilt  find  that  whithersoever  the  righteous  go 
a  blessing  goes  with  them.  Isaac  went  down  to  Gerar, 
and  a  blessing  followed  him.  "  Then  Isaac  sowed,"  &c. 
(Gen.  xxvi.  12).  Jacob  went  down  to  Laban  (Gen.  xxx. 
27),  and  Laban  said,  "  I  have  learned  by  experience  that 
the  Lord  hath  blessed  me  for  thy  sake."  Joseph  went 
down  to  Potiphar,  and  "  the  Lord  blessed  the  Egyptian's 
house  for  Joseph's  sake"  (Gen.  xxxix.  5).  Thus  also  thou 
wilt  find  it  was  with  the  ark  which  came  down  to  the 
house  of  Obed-edom,  &c.  (2  Sam.  vi.  11).  Our  forefathers 
came  into  the  land  and  a  blessing  followed  at  their  heels, 
as  it  is  said  (Deut.  vi.  11),  "And  houses  full  of  good 
things,"  &c.  Yalkut  Ekev. 

73.  "And  the  Lord  put  a  word  in  Balaam's  mouth" 
(Num.  xxiii.  5).  An  angel  took  up  his  seat  in  Balaam's 
throat,  so  that  when  he  wished  to  bless,  the  angel  per- 
mitted him,  but  when  he  desired  to  curse,  the  angel  tickled 
his  throat  and  stopped  him.  "  Word  "  in  this  place  means 
simply  an  angel ;  as  it  is  said  (Ps.  cvii.  20),  "  He  sent  His 
word  and  healed  them."  Eabbi  Yochanan  says,  "  There 
was  an  iron  nail  in  his  throat  which  permitted  him  when 
he  wished  to  bless,  but  it  rasped  his  throat  and  prevented 
him  when  about  to  curse."  "Word"  in  this  place  means 
only  an  iron  nail ;  for  it  is  said  (Num.  xxxi.  23),  121  73, 
"  Every  thing  (or  word,  for  the  original  has  both  mean- 
ings) that  may  abide  the  fire."  Ibid. 

74.  Babbi  Avin  said  four  kinds  of  excellency  were 
created  in  the  world: — (1.)  Man's  excellency  over  the 
animal  kingdom;  (2.)  the  eagle's  excellency  over  the 
feathered   tribes ;    (3.)   the   excellency   of    the   ox   over 


CHAPTER  XV.  309 

domestic  cattle;  and  (4.)  the  lion's  excellency  over  the 
wild  beasts.  All  were  fixed  under  the  chariot  of  God ;  as 
it  is  said  (Ezek.  i.  10),  "As  for  the  likeness  of  their  faces, 
they  four  had  the  face  of  a  man,  the  face  of  a  lion,  the  face 
of  an  ox,  and  the  face  of  an  eagle."  And  why  all  this  ? 
In  order  that  they  should  not  exalt  themselves,  but  know 
that  there  is  a  kingdom  of  heaven  over  them ;  and  on  this 
account  it  is  said  (Eccles.  v.  8),  "  He  that  is  higher  than  the 
highest  regardeth,  and  there  be  higher  than  they."  This 
is  the  meaning  of  Exod.  xv.  1  :  "He  hath  triumphed 
gloriously."  Midrash  Shemoth,  chap.  23. 

75.  No  man  in  Israel  despised  himself  more  than  David 
when  the  precepts  of  the  Lord  were  concerned,  and  this  is 
what  he  said  before  God  (Ps.  cxxxi.  1,  2),  " '  Lord,  my  heart 
was  not  haughty '  when  Samuel  anointed  me  king.  '  Nor 
were  mine  eyes  lofty'  when  I  slew  Goliath.  'Neither 
did  I  exercise  myself  in  matters  too  great  and  wonderful 
for  me '  when  I  brought  up  the  ark.  '  Have  I  not  behaved 
myself,  and  hushed  my  soul,  as  a  babe  that  is  weaned  of 
his  mother  ? '  As  a  child  which  is  not  ashamed  to  un- 
cover himself  before  his  mother,  so  have  I  likened  myself 
before  Thee,  in  not  being  ashamed  to  depreciate  myself 
before  Thee  for  Thy  glory,"  &c.     (See  2  Sam.  vi.  20,  2 1 .) 

Bamidbar,  chap.  4. 

76.  "  I  sleep,  but  my  heart  waketh  "  (Cant.  v.  2).  The 
synagogue  of  Israel  says  "  I  sleep  "  with  regard  to  the 
end  of  days,  "  but  my  heart  waketh  "  with  regard  to  the 
redemption  ;  "  I  sleep  "  with  regard  to  redemption,  but  the 
heart  of  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — waketh  to  redeem 
me.  Midrash  Shir  Hashirim. 

yy.  Eabbi  Ishmael  saith  all  the  five  fingers  of  the 
right  hand  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel — blessed  be  He  ! — 
are   severally  the   efficient  causes  of  redemptions.     (1.) 


310  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

"With  His  little  finger  he  pointed  ont  to  Noah  how  to 
construct  the  ark;  as  it  is  said  (Gen.  vi.  15),  "And  thus 
thou  shalt  make  it."  (2.)  With  the  finger  next  to  the 
little  one  He  smote  the  Egyptians;  as  it  is  said  (Exod. 
viii  19),  "  This  is  the  finger  of  God."  (3.)  With  the  third 
finger  from  the  little  one  He  wrote  the  tables ;  as  it  is 
said  (Exod.  xxxi.  1 8),  "  Tables  of  stone  written  by  the 
finger  of  God."  (4.)  With  the  fourth  finger,  that  which  is 
next  the  thumb,  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! — pointed 
out  to  Moses  how  much  the  Israelites  should  give  as  a 
ransom  for  their  souls;  as  it  is  said  (Exod.  xxx.  13),  "  This 
shall  they  give."  (5.)  With  the  thumb  and  the  whole 
hand  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — will  in  the  future 
destroy  the  children  of  Esau,  for  they  oppress  the  children 
of  Israel,  as  also  the  children  of  Ishmael,  for  they  are  their 
enemies ;  as  it  is  said  (Micah  v.  9),  "  Thine  hand  shall  be 
uplifted  upon  thy  adversaries,  and  all  thy  enemies  shall 
be  cut  off."  Pirke  tfRab.  EMezer,  chap.  48. 

78.  "  For  Mine  own  sake,  for  Mine  own  sake,  will  I  do 
it"  (Isa.  xlviii.  1 1).  Why  this  repetition  ?  The  Holy  One 
— blessed  be  He  ! — said,  "  As  I  redeemed  you  when  you 
were  in  Egypt  for  My  name's  sake  " — (Ps.  cvi.  8),  "  He 
saved  them  for  His  name's  sake," — "  so  in  like  manner  will 
I  do  it  from  Edom  for  My  own  name's  sake.  Again,  as  I 
redeemed  you  in  this  world,  so  likewise  will  I  redeem  you 
in  the  world  to  come ;"  for  thus  He  saith  (Eccles.  i.  9), "  The 
thing  that  hath  been  is  that  which  shall  be  "  (Isa.  li.  11)  ; 
"  The  redeemed  of  the  Lord  shall  return ;"  not  the  re- 
deemed of  Elijah,  nor  the  redeemed  of  the  Messiah,  but 
"  the  redeemed  of  the  Lord." 

Midrash  Shochar  Tov  Tehillim,  107. 

79.  "  Her  children  are  gone  into  captivity  before  the 
enemy  "  (Lam.  i.  5).  Eabbi  Isaac  saith,  "  Come  and  see 
how  greatly  beloved  are  the  children ! "     The  Sanhedrin 


CHAPTER  XV.  311 

were  exiled,  but  the  Shechinah  was  not  exiled  with  them. 
The  Temple  guards  were  exiled,  but  the  Shechinah  was 
not  exiled  with  them.  But  with  the  children  the  She- 
chinah also  was  exiled.  This  is  that  which  is  written 
(Lam.  i.  5,  6),  "  Her  children  are  gone,  .  .  .  and  from  the 
daughter  of  Zion  all  her  beauty  (i.e.,  the  Shechinah)  is 
departed."  Midrash  Rabbah  Eicha, 

So.  "  How  doth  the  city  sit  solitary  !  "  (Lam.  i.  1).  Three 
have,  in  prophesying,  made  use  of  this  word  "  How  " — 
Moses,  Isaiah,  and  Jeremiah.  Moses  said  (Deut.  i.  12), 
"  How  can  I  myself  bear  your  cumbrance  !  "  Isaiah  said 
(Isa.  i.  21),  "  How  is  the  faithful  city  become  an  harlot!" 
Jeremiah  said  (Lam.  i.  1),  ''How  doth  the  city  sit  soli- 
tary ! "  Rabbi  Levi  saith,  "  The  thing  is  like  to  a  matron 
(rwitOD,  matrona)  who  has  three  friends ;  one  saw  her  in 
her  prosperity,  another  saw  her  in  her  dissipation,  and  the 
third  saw  her  in  her  pollution.  So  Moses  saw  Israel  in 
their  glory  and  prosperity,  and  he  said,  "  How  can  I  my- 
self bear  your  cumbrance  !  "  Isaiah  saw  them  in  their  dis- 
sipation, and  he  said,  "  How  is  the  faithful  city,"  &c. ;  and 
Jeremiah  saw  them  in  their  pollution,  and  he  said,  "  How 
doth  the  city  sit  solitary  ! "  Midrash  Rabbah  Eicha. 

Si.  Hezekiah  saith  the  judgment  in  Gehenna  is  six 
months'  heat  and  six  months'  cold.  Midrash  Reheh. 

82.  Gehenna  has  sixteen  mouths,  four  towards  each  car- 
dinal point.  The  Gentiles  say,  "  Hell  is  for  Israel,  but 
Paradise  is  for  us."  The  Israelites  say,  "  Ours  is  Para- 
dise." Midrash  Aggadath  Bereshith. 

83.  Eabbi  Yochanan  ben  Zachai  says,  that  coming 
once  upon  a  man  who  was  gathering  wood,  he  addressed 
him,  but  at  first  he  made  no  reply.  Afterwards,  however, 
he  came  up  and  said,  "  Eabbi,  I'm  not  a  living  man,  but 


312  A  TALMUD IC  MISCELLANY. 

a  dead  one."  "  If  thou  art  a  dead  man,"  said  I,  "  what  is 
this  wood  for  ?  "  He  replied,  "  When  I  was  alive  upon 
earth,  I  and  an  associate  of  mine  committed  a  certain 
sin  in  my  shop,  and  when  we  were  taken  thence,  we  were 
sentenced  to  the  punishment  of  mutual  burning ;  so  I 
gather  wood  to  burn  him,  and  he  does  the  same  to  burn 
me."  I  then  asked  him, "  How  long  are  you  to  be  punished 
thus  ?  "  He  replied,  "  When  I  came  here  my  wife  was 
enceinte,  and  I  know  she  gave  birth  to  a  boy.  May  I  beg 
thee,  therefore,  to  see  that  the  child  is  instructed  by  a 
teacher,  for  as  soon  as  he  is  able  to  repeat,  '  Bless  ye  the 
blessed  Lord  ! '  I  shall  be  brought  up  hence  and  be  free 
from  this  punishment  in  hell."     (See  No.  64,  supra.) 

Tanu  cVby  Eliyahu. 

84.  Eabbi  Berachia  saith,  "In  order  that  the  Minim, 
apostates,  and  wicked  Israelites  might  not  escape  hell  on 
account  of  their  circumcision,  the  Holy  One — blessed  be 
He !  —  sends  an  angel  to  undo  the  effects  of  it,  and 
they  straightway  descend  to  their  doom.  When  Gehenna 
sees  this,  she  opens  her  mouth  and  licks  them.  This  is 
the  purport  of  (Isa.  v.  14),  "  And  she  opened  her  mouth, 
ph  y~  >  t°  those  without  law "  (i.e.,  to  those  without 
the  sign  of  the  covenant). 

Midrash  Rdbbath  Shemoth.  chap.  19. 

85.  "  God  hath  also  set  the  one  over  against  the  other" 
(Eccles.  vii.  14),  i.e.,  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  in  order 
that  the  one  should  atone  for  the  other.  God  created  the 
poor  and  the  rich,  in  order  that  the  one  should  be  main- 
tained by  the  other.  He  created  Paradise  and  Gehenna, 
in  order  that  those  in  the  one  should  deliver  those  in  the 
other.  And  what  is  the  distance  between  them  ?  Eabbi 
Chanina  saith  the  width  of  the  wall  (between  Paradise 
and  Gehenna)  is  a  handbreadth.  Yalkut  Koheleth. 

86.  "  Those  passing  through  the  valley  of  ($22)  weeping 
make  it  a  well  (iTT)D  HW  m3~)3  US)  ;  also  blessings  shall 


CHAPTER  XV.  313 

cover  the  teacher"  (Ps.  lxxxiv.  6,  A.  V.).  "  The  valley  of 
weeping  "  is  Gehenna.  "  Make  it  a  well,"  for  their  tears 
are  like  a  well  or  spring.  "  Also  blessings  shall  cover  the 
teacher."  Eabbi  Yochanan  saith,  "The  praises  of  God 
that  ascend  from  Gehenna  are  more  than  those  that  ascend 
from  Paradise,  for  each  one  that  is  a  step  higher  than  his 
neighbour  praises  God,  and  says,  '  Happy  am  I  that  I  am 
a  step  higher  than  the  one  below  me.'  'Also  blessings 
shall  cover  the  teacher,'  for  they  will  acknowledge  and  say, 
1  Ye  have  taught  well,  and  ye  have  instructed  well,  but  we 
have  not  obeyed.'  "  Yalkut  Tehillim,  84. 

87.  Those  of  the  house  of  Eliyahu  have  taught  that 
Gehenna  is  above  the  sky,  but  some  say  it  is  behind  the 
mountains  of  darkness.  Tcuiu  d'by  Eliyahu. 

SS.  Gehenna  was  created  before  Paradise ;  the  former  on 
the  second  day  and  the  latter  on  the  third.  Yalkut 

Kote. — In  T.  B.  P'sachim,  fol.  54,  col.  1,  it  is  said  that  the 
reason  of  the  omission  of  the  words,  "And  God  saw 
that  it  was  good,"  in  respect  to  the  second  day  of  the 
creative  week,  was  because  hell-fire  was  then  created; 
but  see  the  context. 

89.  When  Adam  saw  (through  the  Spirit)  that  his 
posterity  would  be  condemned  to  Gehenna,  he  disobeyed 
the  precept  "DHI  "H3.  But  when  he  perceived  that  after 
twenty-six  generations  the  Israelites  would  accept  the 
law,  he  bestirred  himself  in  compliance ;  as  it  said  (Gen. 
iv.  1),  "Adam  vero  cognovit  uxorem  suam  Hevam." 

Ibid. 

90.  "  And  the  souls  they  had  gotten  in  Haran  "  (Gen. 
xii.  5).  These  are  they  who  had  been  made  proselytes. 
Whoever  attracts  a  Gentile  and  proselytises  him  is  as 
much  as  if  he  had  created  him.  Abraham  did  so  to  men 
and  Sarah  to  women.  Bereshith  Midrash  Rabbah. 

!N"ote. — See  also  Rashi  to  the  same  effect. 


3i4  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

91.  "  Sing  and  rejoice"  (Zech.  ii.  10).  The  Holy  One — 
blessed  be  He  ! — will  in  the  future  bring  all  the  proselytes 
that  were  proselytised  in  this  world,  and  judge  all  the 
nations  of  the  world  in  their  presence.  He  will  say  to 
them,  "  Why  have  ye  left  Me  and  served  idols,  which  are 
nothing?"  They  will  reply  and  say,  "Had  we  applied 
at  Thy  door,  Thou  wouldst  not  have  received  us."  Then 
will  He  say  to  them,  "  Let  the  proselytes  that  were  made 
from  among  you  come  forward  and  testify  against  you." 

Psikta. 

92.  These  are  the  pious  female  proselytes — Hagar, 
Osenath,  Zipporah,  Shiphrah,  Puah,  the  daughter  of 
Pharaoh  (Bathia),  Rahab,  Ruth,  and  Jael. 

Yalkut  Yehod/ua,  9. 

93.  "  The  Lord  keepeth  the  proselytes  "  (Ps.  cxlvi.  9). 
"  I  esteem  it  a  great  compliment  on  the  part  of  the  proselyte 
to  leave  his  family  and  his  father's  house  and  come  to  Me. 
Therefore  I  on  my  part  will  command  respecting  him 
(Deut.  x.  19),  '  Love  ye  therefore  the  proselyte.'  " 

Mi<i rush  Shochar  Tav,  146. 

94.  "  I  am  a  God  near  at  hand  "  (Jer.  xxiii.  23).  "  I  am 
He  who  drew  Jethro  near,  and  did  not  keep  him  at  a 
distance;"  therefore  thou  also  when  a  man  comes  to  be 
proselytised  in  the  name  of  Heaven,  draw  him  near,  do 
not  repulse  him  or  keep  him  at  a  distance.  From  this 
thou  art  to  learn  that  whilst  one  repulses  with  the  left 
hand  he  is  to  draw  with  the  right,  and  not  as  Elisha  did. 
(He  repulsed  Gehazi  with  both  hands.) 

Yalkut  Jeremiah. 

95.  Showers  of  rain  are  greater  than  the  giving  of  the 
Law,  for  the  srivins:  of  the  Law  was  a  cdadsome  event  to 
Israel  only,  but  rain  is  a  cause  of  joy  to  the  wide  world, 
including  cattle,  beasts,  and  fowds. 

Midrash  Shochar  Tov,  117. 


CHAPTER  XV.  315 

96.  David  was  the  shepherd  of  Israel,  and  the  Shepherd 
of  David  was  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! — as  it  is  said 
(Ps.  xxiii.  1),  "The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd." 

Midrash  Rabbah,  chap.  59. 

97.  Rav  Pinchas  says,  "  David  in  the  Psalms  calls  five 
times  upon  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He ! — to  arise. 
(1.)  'Arise,  0  Lord;  save  me,  0  my  God!'  (Ps.  iii.  7). 
(2.)  'Arise,  0  Lord,  in  Thine  anger!'  (Ps.  vii.  6).  (3.) 
1  Arise,  0  Lord,  let  not  man  prevail!'  (Ps.  ix.  19).  (4.) 
'  Arise,  0  Lord ;  0  God,  lift  up  Thine  hand :  forget  not 
the  humble  ! '  (Ps.  x.  12).  (5.)  '  Arise,  0  Lord  ;  disappoint 
him  ! '  Put  the  Holy  One — blessed  be  He  ! — said  unto 
David,  '  My  son,  though  thou  call  upon  Me  many  a  time 
to  arise,  I  will  not  arise.  Put  when  do  I  arise  ?  "When 
thou  seest  the  poor  oppressed  and  the  needy  sighing, 
then  will  I  arise.' "  This  explains  what  is  written  (Ps. 
xii.  5),  "  For  the  oppression  of  the  poor,  for  the  sighing  of 
the  needy,  now  will  I  arise,  saith  the  Lord." 

Bamidbar  Rabbah,  chap.  75. 

98.  "  And  Solomon's  wisdom  excelled  "  (1  Kings  iv.  30). 
Thou  findest  that  when  Solomon  desired  to  build  the 
Temple  he  sent  to  Pharaoh  Necho  a  request  to  send  him 
artisans  on  hire.  Pharaoh  assembled  his  astrologers,  who 
pointed  out  to  him  such  artisans  as  were  destined  to  die 
in  the  course  of  that  year,  and  these  he  despatched  to 
Solomon ;  but  lie,  through  the  Holy  Ghost,  seeing  the  fate 
that  impended,  provided  each  of  them  with  a  shroud  and 
sent  them  back  to  Pharaoh  with  the  message,  "  Hast  thou 
no  shrouds  in  which  to  bury  thine  own  dead?  Pehold 
here  I  have  provided  them  with  them ! "  "  For  he  was 
wiser  than  all  men"  (1  Kings  iv.  31);  "than  all  men," 
even  than  the  first  man,  Adam. 

Talkut  Eliezer,  fol.  65,  col.  2,  n.  36. 

99.  "Ye  are  My  witnesses,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I  am 
God  "  (Isa.  xliii.  12).     Pabbi  Shimon  ben  Yochai  expounds 


316  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

these  words  thus,  "  If  ye  are  My  witnesses,  then  I  am 
God ;  but  if  ye  are  not  My  witnesses,  then  I  am  not  God." 

Yalkut  Jethro,  n.  271. 

100.  "  Let  us  hear  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter" 
(Eccles.  xii.  1 3).  Thou  shalt  ever  hear  the  Law,  even  when 
thou  dost  not  understand  it.  "  Fear  God,"  and  give  thy 
heart  to  Him.  "  And  keep  His  commandments,"  for  on 
account  of  the  Law  the  whole  world  was  created,  that  the 
world  should  study  it. 

Koheleth,  as  given  in  Tse-enah  Ure-enali. 


"  The  words  of  the  wise  and  their  dark  sayings  "  (Prov.  i.  6). 


SELECTIONS  FROM  THE  KABBALAH, 


'■zb)]b  7i  inn  d^im  t»b  Kinn  v'y  n»njwi  imp  nirv  de6 

In  the  name  of  the  Union  of  the  Holy  and  Blessed  One  and  His  Shechinah, 
the  Hidden  and  the  Concealed  One,  blessed  be  the  Lord  for  ever !  " 


(    3i8    ) 


PRELIMINARY  REMARKS. 


The  Hebrew  word  b2p,  Kabbal,  means  "  to  receive,"  and 
its  derivative,  HTOp,  Kabbalah,  signifies  "  a  thing  received," 
viz.,  "  Tradition,"  which,  together  with  the  written  law, 
Moses  received  on  Mount  Sinai,  and  we  are  distinctly 
told  in  the  Talmud,  Eosh  Hashanah,  fol.  19,  col.  1,  HUT 
M21  min  nni3  nbip,  i.e.,  "The  words  of  the  Kabbalah 
are  just  the  same  as  the  words  of  the  law."  In  another 
part  of  this  work  we  find  that  the  Eabbis  declare  the 
Kabbalah  to  be  above  the  law. 

The  Kabbalah  is  divided  into  two  parts,  viz.,  the  sym- 
bolical and  the  real. 

I.  The  Symbolical  Kabbalah. 

This  teaches  the  secret  or  mystic  sense  of  Scripture,  and 
the  thirteen  rules  by  which  the  observance  of  the  law  is, 
not  logically,  but  Kabbalistically  expounded;  viz.,  the 
rules  of  "  Gematria,"  of  "  Notricon,"  of  "  Temurah,"  &c. 
To  give  some  idea  of  this  kind  of  exposition,  we  will  ex- 
plain each  of  these  three  rules  in  a  manner  which,  though 
in  the  style  of  the  Eabbis,  will  easily  be  understood  by 
the  Gentile  reader. 

1.  NHIDD2,  "Gematria."  This  rule  depends  on  the 
numerical  value  of  each  letter  in  the  alphabet.  The  ap 
plication  of  this  rule  in  the  solution  of  a  disputed  point 
is  often  such  as  to  show  quite  as  much  absurdity  as  in- 
genuity. A  sample  of  the  process  may  be  seen  in  this 
work,  page  51,  No.  40,  note  1.     To  make  the  subject  still 


CHAPTER  XVI.  319 

more  clear,  let  us  assume  for  the  nonce  that  a  standard 
numerical  value  is  attached  to  each  letter  in  the  English 
alphabet.  A  has  the  value  of  1,  B  2,  C  3,  D  4,  E  5,  F  6, 
G  7,  H  8, 1 9,  J  10,  K  20,  L  30,  M  40,  N  50,  0  60,  P  70, 
C  80,  i2  90,  S  100,  ^  200,  Z7  300,  ^400,  W  500,  JT  1000, 
Y  10,000,  ^  100,000.  And  let  us  now  assume  a  point  in 
dispute  in  order  to  illustrate  how  it  is  solved  by  Gema- 
tria.  Suppose  that  the  subject  of  discussion  is  the  com- 
parative superiority  of  the  Hebrew  and  English  lan- 
guages, and  Hugo  and  Baruch  are  the  disputants.  The 
former,  being  a  Hebrew,  holds  that  the  Hebrew  is  superior 
to  the  English,  "  because,"  says  he,  "  the  numerical  value 
of  the  letters  that  form  the  word  Hebrew  is  610; 
whereas  the  numerical  value  of  English  is  only  209." 
The  latter,  being  an  Englishman,  holds,  of  course,  exactly  the 
contrary  opinion,  and  argues  as  follows  : — "All  the  learned 
world  must  admit  that  the  English  is  a  living  language, 
but  not  so  the  Hebrew ;  and  as  it  is  written  (Eccles.  ix.  4) 
that  '  A  living  dog  is  better  than  a  dead  lion,'  I  there- 
fore maintain  that  the  English  is  superior  to  the  Hebrew." 
The  dispute  was  referred  to  an  Oxford  authority  for  deci- 
sion, and  a  certain  learned  doctor  decided  it  by — 

2.  ]pHZOU,  "  Notricon."  This  consists  in  forming  a  de- 
cisive sentence  composed  of  words  whose  initial  letters 
are  in  a  given  word  ;  for  instance,  Hebrew :  —  "  i/ugo's 
excels  2?aruch's  reasoning  every  way."  English : — "  English 
9io  #ood  language,  is  scarcely  harmonious  ; "  but  Hebrew : — 
"iZbly,  elegant,  brilliant,  resonant,  eliciting  wonder!" 
This  is  a  fair  specimen  of  how  to  get  at  the  secret 
sense  of  a  word  by  the  rule  of  "  Notricon,"  and  now  we 
will  proceed  to  explain — 

3.  rmDJI,  "  Temurah."  This  means  permutation,  or 
a  change  of  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  after  a  regularly 
adopted  system.  We  know  only  five  such  permuted 
alphabets,  but  there  may  be  more.  The  technical  names 
of    these     five    alphabets    are :— .Dirt**  -rCTEM*  -t^n'TlN 

pyifn  -TXTjflX,  "Atbash,"  "  Atbach,"  "Albam,"  "Aiak- 


320  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

bechar,"  and  "Tashrak."  We  will  try  to  explain  the  first 
permuted  alphabet  only,  as  a  mere  specimen,  for  the 
reader  is  not  quite  prepared  to  comprehend  the 
rest,  and  a  hint  for  the  scholar  is  sufficient. 

Here  let  the  readei  re  that  as  the  letters  of  the 

!      Lisb   alphabet    arc   more   numerous   and    differently 

ted  and  arranged  than  those  of  the  Hebrew,  the 

A:  bash  "  of  the  Hebrew  musl  arily  become  "  Axl>y  " 

in  English.  It  now  we  write  on  one  line  and  in  regular 
order  the  first  half  of  the  alphabet,  and  the  other  half  on 
the  second  line,  but  in  reversed  order,  thus: — 

a  b  c  d  t  f  g  ft  i  j  k  /  m 

•rut    8    /'   '/  p   0   11 

we  get  thirteen  couples  of  letters  whiclj  exchange  one 
with  the  other,  viz.,  a  and  :.  b  and  y,  c  and  x,  &c.  These 
re,  when  exchanged,  give  rise  to  a  permuted  alphabet, 
an  i  this  permuted  alphabet  takes  its  technical  name 
from  the  first  two  couples  of  letters,  a  and  z,  b  and  y,  or 
\  Now  if  we  wish   to  write,  "  Meddle  not  with 

them  that  are  given  to  change,"  you  have  to  change  the 
1-  ■  ■  ■  ra  of  the  couples  and  the  following  will  be  the  result : 
— "  Nvwwov  mlg  drgs  gsvn  gszg  ziv  trem  gl  xszmtv." 
rrhi^  is  a  specimen  of  the  mysterious  Temurah,  and  the 
■  A. ::.y  "  is  the  key  to  it.  The  other  four  permuted  alpha- 
bets are  of  a  similar  nature  and  character,  and  are  bo  highly 
1  among  the  Bages  and  hards  of  Israel,  that  they 
often  use  them  in  their  literary  and  poetical  compositions. 
The  Machzorim,  or  the  Jewish  Liturgies  for  the  festivals,  are 
full  of  compositions  where  the  first  letters  of  the  sentences 
follow  the  order  of  either  the  "  Atbash "  or  "  Tashrak." 
The  latter  is  simply  a  reversed  order  of  the  alphabet. 

II.  The  Real  Kabbalah. 

The  "Real  Kabbalah"  consists  of  theoretical  and  prac- 
tical mysteries. 

*  Frov.  ixiv.  2i. 


CHAPTER  XVI.  321 

1.  The  theoretical  mysteries  treat  about  the  ten  spheres, 

•  nee  and  various  names  of  God 
and  Is,  also  of  the  celestial  hierarchy  and  its  in- 

r  world,  of  the  mysteries 
n33"10  rwyU  •      mystical  chari  ribed 

by  ' 

of  a   great  man  .  deep 

and  too  numerou 
<  I  which,  however, 
will  re  in  this  work,  and  especially 

in  this  1  I  it. 

2,  The  I   Kabbalah  is  a  branch  of  the  theoreti- 
cal, :'  the  mysterious 

1  I  .     By  a  properly  the 

BTraon  ~-'  9    im-hamm  n,  £.«.,  the  ineffable  name 

I  -.  or  by  the  mere 
and  won 
in  the  Je*  Lsfa  world.    Speci- 
■  :nd   in  the   following  pages,  and 
;  this  Murk. 


(  3"  ) 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  KABBALAH. 

1.  KNOW  thou  that  the  613  Precepts  of  the  Law  form  ;i 
compact  with  the  Boly  One — blessed  be  Bel — and  with 
Israel,  as  it  is  of  ten  explained  in  the  Zohar.  It  is  writ- 
ten (Exod  iii.  1?).  *"OT  n%^  *DP  PIT,  "This  is  My  name, 
and  this  is  My  memorial."  n  *  DP  * --  "  My  name,"  to- 
gether with  "  Ye]  nta  numerically  to  ■•  5  ;  2;'  n  i 
^IDT, "  Vah,"  together  with  "My  memorial,"  amounts  to 

the  inn:  j  in  liu'   Holy  <  me — 

blessed  be  II         I  1  is  a  p<  1  from  al 

ami  this  is  mystically  intimated  by  th  mi  u*33 

ilDVtt,  "bre  th,  al."  the  initial  and  final  ietl 

of  which  amount  to  613,  while  the  middle 
amount  to   the  number  of  DVT/N  Htf  r]yn\  ■•  Lord,  Al- 
mighty, <  ro  1."     The  bouI  of  Mosi  3  our  Rabbi 
him  ! — embraced  all  I  [srael;  as  M 

was  bm&  ta  1333  b^pV,  equiva)  ■  •  111  L  nr: 
fiai,"  Mi  3e8<  ur  Rabbi,"  amounts  to  613  ;and  ^nbH  mrr 
b  Nxnr\  -  Lord  God  of  Israel,"  also  amounts  to  613. 

K       ■  Sh'lu,  p.  2,  col  2. 

Note. — The  full  title  of  the  work  just  quoted  from  i  --j-^ 
rv"i2n  mm?  *3B>,  thai  is,  "  An  E]  itome  of  the  Two  Tables 
of  the  Covenant,"  a  Kabbalistic  work  of  high  1 
with  those  who  hold  the  theosophy  of  the  Rabbis  in 
Lation,  and  are  privileged  to  enter  the  sanctum 
sanctorum  of  Jewish  thought 

2.  Xow  let  us  illustrate  the  subject  of  rDHNI  PINT, 
"  fear  and  love."  Fear  proceedeth  from  love  and  love  pro- 
eeedeth  from  fear.     And  this  you  may  demonstrate  by 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

ting  their  letters  one  over  the  ad  then  dividing 

:.tal  and  licular  lines,  thus,  p^l^r 

Love,    This  Lb  to 
teach  th< 

.  p.  4,  ooL  2. 

3.  n      1 1  [y  (  "  ■■  !!••  '.--■  :':■::  brings  afflic- 
tion on   •                                h  they  have  not   Binned,  in 

from  the  alluiv- 
rld  and  1  .     From 

r  man,  and  there- 
R  id,  "  Aa  men 

Grod  when  He 
og  be  hidden 
1  afflicti  irely  in- 

tend I  L  .  .  .  Or  m  :  e-  i  1 1  ur  at  present  in  a 

B  man   m>w  for  \. 

;  in  a  bypast  tii  body,  by 

having  broken  seme  :  3  prece] 

L  1. 

4.  Thu  -No  one  is  perfect  nnles 

613  .If  thi 

is  he  that  I  I  all  the 

613  precepts  ?    Fox  I  of  the  prophets,  M 

1  him  ! — had    '  ed  them 

all  ;   for   '  which   hinder  one   from 

irving  all: — (1.)  There  is  th<  of  complete  pre- 

the  law  of  th.-  priesthood,  the  pn 

which  only  j  a  observe,  and  yet  ti 

included   in    the  r>i  3.      I  among  the 

number  |  the  Levites  which  con- 

cern neither  priests  nor  Israelites,  and  also  others  which 

binding  on  Israelites  with  which  priests  and  Levites 
have  nothing  whatever  to  do.  (2.)  Then  there  are  impos- 
sible cases,  as,  fur  instance,  when  one  cannot  observe  the 


324  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

ipt  which  enforces  circumcision,  because  he  has  not  a 
Bon  to  circumcise.     (3  and  4.)  There  are  also  conditional 
ptional  1  ■  in  the  case  of  precepts  haying 

rence  to  the  Temple  and  to  the  land  of  Israel. 

Kitzur  Sh'lUj  p.  6,  col.  2. 

refore  every   [sraelite  is  bound  to  observe  only 

.  "i*  the  613  1  Le  to  him ;  and  >\u'h 

•  has  nol  1  in  consequence  of  hindrances  aris- 

from  mi]  tuses  will  be  reckoned  to  him  as 

:  formed.  /  id. 

Note,     Th      Y  dkul  oi,   in    true    Rabbinical   style, 

amplifies  still  farther  the  I  Led  in  the  at 

quotations.     Rabbi   1  ys  that   the  Esiaelites  be- 

wailed thus  We  would  fain  be 

occupied  night  and  day  in  the  law,  but  we  have  uot  the 
1  i  [oly  « »ii'  .  be  Be ! 

— said,  "  Perform  the  commandment  of  the  Tephillin,* 
and  I  will  ::  if  you  we]       scupi  d  oi  lit  and 

day  in  I 

6.  Anyhow,  all  the  precepl  dng  observed  by  all 

r,  viz.,  ti  teir  pari, 

theirs,  and  the  [sraelites  theirs;  thus  the  whole 
keep  all.  For  the  Holy  <  >n< — blesse  1 1"-  Be  ! — has  writ 
a  law  for  His  faithful  servants,  the  nation  of  I  rael,  and 
they  keep  the  whole  law.  It  is  as  once 
when  a  king  wrote  to  his  subjects  thus,  u  Behold,  I  com- 
mand you  to  prepare  for  war  against  the  enemy  ;  raise  the 
walls  higher,  collect  arms,  and  store  up  victuals;"  and 
those  that  were  builders  looked  after  the  walls,  the 
armourers  after  the  weapons,  the  farmers  after  the  stores 
of  food,  &c,  &c.  Each,  according  to  his  ability,  did  all 
that  was  required  of  him,  and  all  unitedly  fulfilled  the 
king's  command.  Ibid. 

7.  He  who  neglects  to  observe  any  of  the  613  pre- 
cepts, such  as  were  possible  for  him  to  observe,  is  doomed 

*  Phylacteri.  s. 


CHAPTER  XVI.  325 

to  undergo  tran  1  an  once 

he  has  actually   1  

a  former  state  0!  bei]  K  p.  6,  coL  2. 

S.  The  sages  of  truth  (the  Kabl  mark  that  D*1N, 

the  initial  I  I  im,  I  tavid,  . 

m   sinned  hia   soul    ;  into 

1,  and  t  r  having  also  sinned,  if  into 

the  Messiah.    The  full  t 

1  »avi  1  their  kii,  I  w  ill  raise  up 

to  them"    Jer,  cue.  9);  and  it  .  o,  "My  servant 

David  shall  be  their  king  t  txxvii  2 

and  thus  "  I  :  the  Lord  tl  I,  and  1  >avid 

king'1  (Hoaea  iii 

'//  ( 'h'litit,  foL  152,  coL  2. 

9.  Ki  into 

into     Corah,    and     his     animal 
1        •  ian.     This  is  whal  dth. 

DJP)  shall  I  .fold  "  (( leu.  iv. 

HXb  m\>  mns  Op*  JYl,    ..•..    the  initial  Let  the 

word  rendered  *•  shall  be  avenged,"  form  the  ini- 
tials of  Jethi  m.  .  .  .  Samson  I 

y  the  BOOl  of  and  Job  by  that  of 

Ynli   I  I:  I        9,  18,  24. 

10.  Cain  had  r  •  twin  Bister  of  Abel,  and  thi 

Moses  waa  |  d  by 

1.  and  therefore  •'  tve  bis  dau| 

to  M  }'  ■      •  (  .  EoL  1 27,  col.  3. 

11.  [f  a  man  be  niggardly  either  in  a  financial  or  a 

id.  giving  nothing  of  his  money  to  the  poor 
it  imparting  of  his  knowledge  to  the  ignorant,  he  shall 
be  punished  by  transmigration  into  a  woman.  .  .  .  Know 
thou  that  Sarah,  Hannah,  the  Shunammite  (2  Kings  iv.  8), 
and  the  widow  of  Zarepta  were  each  in  turn  possessed  by 
the  soul  of  Eve.  .  .  .  The  soul  of   Rahab  transmigrated 


326  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

into  He!  er  the  Kenite,  and  afterwards  into  Hannah;  and 
this  is  the  mystery  of  her  words,  "  I  am  a  woman  of  a 
sorrowful  spirit"  (i  Sam.  i.  15),  for  there  still  lingered 
in  her  bou]  a  sorrowful  sense  of  inherited  defilement.  .  .  . 
Eli  1  id  the  son!  of  Jael,  the  wife  of  Heber  the 

Kenite.  .  .  .  Sometimes  the  bouIs  of  pious  •'  3  by 

mpsychosis  into  Gentiles,  in  order  that   they  may 
I  on  behalf  of  Israel  and  treat  them  kindly.     For  this 
reason  have  <>ur  Rabbis  of  blessed  memory  said,  " 
pious  of  the  nations  of  the  world  have  a  portion  in  the 
world  to  come."  Yalkut  Reubeni,  Nos.  1,  8,  61,  63. 

12.  We  have  it  by  tradition  t hat  when  Moses  our 
Rabbi— peace  be  unto  him  ! — said  in  the  law,  u  I  I  I  rod,  the 
God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh'1  (Num.  xvi.  22),  lie  meanl 
mystically  to  intimate  that  metempsychosis  takes  place 
in  all  flesh,  in  b<  |  tiles,  and  fowls.     "  Of  all  flesh 

is,  as  it  were,  "  in  all  flesh." 

.1     lath  II  < '    I  •//,  fol.  49,  col.  3. 

[3,  It  is  also  needful  that  thou  Bhouldst  know  that 
the  Kabbalists  believe  in  metem]  Is  from  the  body 

of  om-  species  into  the  body  of  another  species.    Thou 
a  informed   of  the  my8tery  of  clean   and 
unclean  animals;   and  some  of  the  la!    :  of  the  Kab- 

balah say  that  the  bouI  of  an  unclean  person  will  trans- 
migrate into  an  unclean  animal,  or  into  abominable 
creeping  things  or  reptiles.  .  .  .  For  one  form  of  unclean- 
the  soul  will  be  invested  with  the  body  of  a  Gentile, 
who  will  (eventually)  become  a  proselyte;  for  another, 
tie-  soul  will  pass  into  the  body  of  a  mule;  for  others,  it 
transmigrates  into  an  ass,  a  woman  of  Ashdod,  a  bat,  a 
rabbit  or  a  hare,  a  she-mule  or  a  camel.  Ishmael  trans- 
migrated first  into  the  she-ass  of  Lalaam,  and  subsequently 
into  the  ass  of  Rabbi  Pinchas  ben  Yair. 

Nishmath  CJuiim,  chap.  13,  No.  14. 

Xote. — The   last  paragraph  may  be  illustrated  by  the  well- 


CHAPTER  XVI 


y~: 


I  the  a       •"  I  .  .  which  | 

this  ia  also 
P  Rabbi  Chani 
d'Kah  Nathan,  chap,    . 

bouI   of   a  righteous  man  may  be 
found  in  the  animal  or  fowl 

La, 

I  ".    I'  an  animal 

with  a  human  soul  in  it.     And  this  ia  the  mystic  meaning 

1  I  I.    :  i,  thou  |  :  man  an 

•  hal  we  are  command*  d  to  h 
ring-knii  c  who  knows  if  there 

•ul  in  the  animal  |  .   .   .   'I 

ne  and  the  m 
ant  of  that  which  is  wril 
hbouras  I 

iwrfJi  C/t<ii?/i,  chap.  13,  2s'".  4. 

of  the  tin  i   of  the  Sabbath  one 

fish,  fur  into  them  the  Boula  of  the  right 
L    And  in  relation  to  them  it  is  written 

:n.  \i.  22  , "  All  I  of  the  sea  shall  he  gathered 

:  them."    Ya       1         /A,  foL  20,  coL  4,  No.  9. 

17.  rer  is  trai    1  1  into  a 

Emeh  Hameleeh,  foL  153,  col.  2. 

i.l  [saac    Luria   was   once   passing   the 

:  Sochanan  in  Tiberias,  where  he  showed 

his  disci]  wall,  remarking, "  In  this  stone 

there  is  a  ti  rated  soul,  and  it  cries  that  I  should 

pray  on  tlf.     And  this  is  the  mystic  meaning  of 

d.  ii),'  The  stone  shall  cry  out  of  the  wall.' " 

Ibid.,  foL  1 1,  coL  2. 

19.  The  murderer  is  transmigrated  into  water.    The 

tical  Bign  of  this  is  indicated  in  (Deut.  xii.  16),  "Ye 
shall  pour  it  upon  the  earth  as  water;"  and  the  meaning 


32S  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLAXY. 

is,  lie  is  continually  rolling  on  and  on  without  any  rest. 
Therefore  let  no  man  drink  (direct)  from  a  running  tap  or 
spout,  but  from  the  hollow  of  his  hands,  lest  a  soul  pass 
into  him,  and  that  the  soul  of  a  wicked  sinner. 

]'.     h  Hamdech,  foL  153,  <■  1&  1.  2. 

20.  One  who  sins  with  a  married  woman  is,  after  under- 
going the  penalty  of  wandering  about  as  a  fugitive  and 
vagabond,  transmigrated,  together  with  his  accomplice] 
into   the    millstone   -  t   a   water-mill,   according   to   ths 

mystery  of   (Job  xxxi.   10),   "I.  wife  grind   unto 

another."  Ibid. 

21.  A  butcher  who  kills  an  animal  with  a  defective 
knife  will  die   of  the  plague,  and  his  BOUl  will  pass  into  a 

whom  he  thus  d(  1  f  what  to  him  ;  for 

it  is  said  (Exod,  xxii.  31),  "  Ye  .-hall  cast  it  to  the 

Kitzur  Sh'lh,  foL  17,  C  1.  2. 

Notk — An  animal  slaughtered  with  an   improper  knife   La 

if  it  had  1  een  "  torn  of  field," 

and  the  flesh  "f  it.  according  to  the  law,  belongs  t<>  the 

butcher,  Belling  the  meat  as  food  for 

man,  deprivi  g  «'f  his  due, 

22.  The  Bages  of  truth  have  written,  "  He  who  do 

ads  before  eating,  as  the  Rabbis  of  bli  i 
memory  have  ordained,  will  be  transmigrated  into  a  cata- 
ract, where  he  will  have  no  rest,  even  as  a  murderer,  who 

is  also  transmigrated  into  water."         /     li  :  1.  21,  col  2. 

23.  After  washing  his  hands  before  a  meal,  he  is  to 

stretch  out  his  fingers  and  turn  the  palms  of  his  hands  up- 
wards, as  if  in  the  act  of  receiving  something  from  a  friend, 
and  then  repeat  (Ps.  exxxiv.  2),  "  Lift  ye  up  your  holy 
hands,  and  bless  ye  the  Lord  !  "  Ibid.,  foL  21,  col.  2. 

Note. — The  following  are  the  usual  blessings,  "  Bless 

Thou,  0  Lord,  our  God!  King  of  the  universe!  who 
has  sanctified  us  with  His  commandments,  and  has  com- 
manded us  to  wash  the  hands  ! "  "  Blessed  art  Thou, 
O  Lord,  our  God  !  King  of  the  universe  !  who  bringeth 
forth  bread  from  the  earth  ! " 


(     3*9     ) 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

i.   !  aing  the  letters  of  tlm  inefif 

nan.'  in  fTV3P  "lBD,  M  B     k   i      I  in/'* 

I  a  man  and  sent  him  I  i  R  -v  Zera,     The 

man  :i  to,  the  Rabbi 

aim,  "  Thou  ai  I  ion  of  the  company  (initiated 

in  the  ]  irn  to  ti. 

hedrifij  t  L  2. 

Imud,   Sanhedrin,  7.  wo 

.  by   the   1  mentioned,  a   Rabbi 

. 

2.  Thei  tore  in  heaven  which  by  day 

id,  by  which  the  enow 

evening  it  i.         I  on  its  fore- 

by  the  angels  know  that  night  La  near.    Each 

time  the  living  01  I  Lord," 

all  tl  ad,  "  Bli  ssed  be  the  bleased  Lord 

for  ever."  Kitzttr  Sh'lh,  fol  42,  coL  2. 

3.  Truth  and  faith  are  the  essentials  of  religion,  which 
arc  thirteen  in  number  : — 

1.  1  ts,  and  tl  I  to  B  se.     The 

ph  j  call  it  absolute  existence,  but  the  majoril 

K .  1 1  rpo  |'IC,  "endli     "  which,  by  Gematria, 

Lb  ~nx,  "light;"  and  again,  by  Gematria,  is  D)ty  (Hit, 
"Lord    ;■       I        ■:  He  is  the  cause  of  causes  and 

.  and  from  or  by  His  existence 
all  piritual  and  material,  derive  their  existence. 

2.  1 1  .  and  there  is  qo  unity  like  His,  &c 

3.  He  has  do  bodily  h'  not  corporeal. 


A  book  still  much  studied  among  a  certain  class  of  Jews. 


33o  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

4.  He  la  first  of  everything,  al  aing  ;  aa  it  is  said, 

"I     m  th<    First  and  I  am  the  I.    b"  (Isa.  xliv.  6s  and 
there  Lb  qo  beginning  to  Eia  beginii 

5.  None  but  Himself  is  to  be  worshipped  and  prayed  to. 

0.  The  gift  of  prophecy  He  has  given  to  men  1  I  and 

glorified  by  Him. 

7.  N   ■.    ..:  ise  like  unt     M 

8.  A  law  <>f  tin:  .■■;  this  is  the  law  from  ]  .  "Id 

the  beginning  "  unto  "in  1  I  all  Isi 

commenl  Likewise  o*DD  tWtb  nD^n, 

••  a  Law  (given)  ui  from  Sinai." 

9.  Clod  will  n^t  charj  tei  His  Law  f  He  will 

never  change  the  Law  of  Moses  our  Rabbi — peace  be  unto 
him!     The  Law  will  Idition  or  diminution, 

(but  it  will  abidi  Malachi  Bealed  it 

with  the  Beai  of  tl  ling  his  words  (Mai 

iv.  4),  "Remember  ye  the  Law  of   Moses   My  Bervant, 
which  I  commanded  unto  him  in  Horeb  foi  all  Israel." 
Formerly  tin-  law  was  in  a  garment  of  Light,  but  in  con- 
..  nT,nn  :'::■:■:.  the  law  became  mate- 
rialised in  B  km,  in  the  Bame  proportion  as 
man  became  in  a  bod]  In  the 
future,  after  the  redemption,  however,  the  law  will  have 
the  garmenl                             1,   and   the    Messiah  will 
v  in  terrible  mysl  ir  has 
c  heard,  and  it  will  a]                        a  new  law.      But 
the  law  will  no-                                                       -  the  nations 
of  tip-  world  say  =  Jer  xxxi.  30-33. 

10.  lie  observeth  and  knov 

1  1.   Til-  '  ■•  irds  and  punishments  in  the  future, 

1  j.    He  will  send  at  the  Messiah  from  the 

1  1  of  David  to  red-::.  11.  I     .  I  \r>\n  among 

the  nations,  and  restore  to  them  the  kingdom, 
13.  There  will  bo  a  revival  uf  the  d 

KitzurSh'lh,  fol.  7,  col.  2. 

4.  Let  a  man  believe  that  whatever  occurs  to  him  is 
from  the  Blessed  One  !    For  instance,  when  a  wicked  man 

ba  him  and  abuses  him,  and  puts  him  to  shame,  let 
him  receive  it  with  love,  and  say,  "The  Lord  told  him  to 
curse,  and  he  is  the  messenger  of  God  on  account  of  my 
sin."  Rid.,  fol.  8,  col.  1. 

5.  In  every  deed  or  transaction  a  man  performs  by  his 


CHAPTER  XVII.  351 

.  free  will,  be  it  a  matt-  r  I  or  of  option,  let 

the  name  of  I  I  his  mouth.      If. 

•  1  a  building,  <»r  buys  a  vessel,  or  makes  a  1 
ment,  Let  him  say  with  his  mouth  and  utter  with  his  Lips, 
a  thing  I  d  >.  n  3pn  zy  TOOOTl  *in<0  for  (th 
the  union  of  th  ainah  with  the  Holy  One — 

33  7//,  fol  8,  00L  1. 
Lrrahmani  Arraheemi,  "  In  the  nan 
:.  -  iful  and  1  the  motl 

d  by  a  Mohai 

6.  A  d  ild  alwaj  that  his  neighbour  1 

profit  by  him,  an  I  y  bis  n 

bour.     Let  ]  ;  leasant  with  the  children  of 

■fiii,  and  let  him  not  Bhame  them  in 
:n.     [ft]  Lve  him,  let  him  them  in 

ivti;  :  t  him  I  I  the  public  upon  his 

should* :  0  it  heavily  on  them  in  return. 

Ibid. 

[f — whi  I  irbid  I — thy  neighbour  has  done  thee 

an  evil,  pardon  him  at  once ;  for  thou  shouldst  Love  hix 
thyself.     I:     :.     hand  is  accidentally  hurt  by  the  other, 
ild  the  v.  1  n  the  other  1 

And,  asurgi  thou  shouldst  rather  say 

in  thine  I  fr"iu  the  Lord  that  it  eanie  to  thee  ; 

it  ca  from  the  Eoly  One — blessed  be 

Bel     as  a  punishment  fur  some  sin."' 

Ibid.,  fol  9,  col.  2. 

S.    A  who  was  very  sorrowful  was  once  comforted 

thus: — 'It    thy   sorrow   relates   to   this   world,  may  God 

but  if  it  relates  to  the  world  to  come,  may  God 

increase  it  and  add  sorrow  to  sorrow."    (See  2  Cor.  vii.  10.) 

/     /.,  fol  10,  COL  I. 

9.  A  man  should  not  wade  through  water  or  traverse 
any  dangerous  place  in  company  with  an  apostate,  or  1 


A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY* 

a  wicked  Jew,  lest  he  be  overtakeD  (in  the  same  ruin)  with 
him.     (Comp.  Eph.  v.  7,  S;  Rev.  xviii.  4.) 

Kitzur  Sh'lh,  foL  10,  col.  2. 

10.  The  influence  of  the  son  is  relatively  and 
more  blessed  than  that  of  the  father,  for  the  merits  of  the 
father  do  not  profit  the  in  matters  relating 
to  this  world  (as  by  bequeathing  him  worldly  inheritance); 
whereas  the  merits  uf  the  son  do  more  than  benefit  the 
fathei  in  this  world;  they  benefit  him  also  in  the  world  to 
come  (by  saying  "Kadish"),  which  is  enough  to  deliver 
his  soul  from  purgatory.                       Ibid.,  foL  ei,  coL  2. 

11.  A  common  prov  1  ther  willingly  main- 
tains ten  sons,  but  ten  sons  are  not  willing  to  Blip]  orl  one 
father."                                                        Ibid.,  foL  12,  coL  2. 

12.  The  proper  use  of  i  that  thou  learn  the  art 
of  dealing  honestly,  so  that  thy  N  no  and  thy  5     , 

*   and  as  far  a  Solent  with   the 

money.     '"And  the  liberal  by  liberal  things  shall  stand " 
rii  S).  Ibid, 

13.  The  v.-.  "The  eye  of  a  needle  is  not  narrow 
enough  for  two  friends,  but  the  world  is  not  wide  enough 
for  two  enemies."  Ibid..  foL  14,  coL  1. 


14.  "Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God,  and  renew 

Jit  spirit  within  me"  (Ps.  li.  10).  Know  thou  that 
the  heart  is  the  source  of  life,  and  is  placed  in  the  centre 
of  the  body  as  the  Holy  of  holie  bated  in  the  Book 

Zohar,  is  the  central  part  of  the  world.  Then  I 
must  have  his  heart  cleansed  from  evil  and  all  evil 
thoughts,  otherwise  he  introduces  an  idol  into  the  inner- 
most part  of  the  Temple,  which  ought  to  be  a  dwelling- 
place  for  the  Shechinah.  (See  1  Cor.  iii.  16,  17,  and  vi. 
19.)  Ibid.,  ml.  14,  coL  2. 

*  Comp.  p.  130,  Note  (o),  ante. 


CHAPTERXVIL  333 

15.  He  wc  Little  finger  of  a  woman 

if  he  looked  on  her  to  in  He  should  not 

a  woman1  •  of  a  woman  is 

\     This  sin  is  much  n  the  Zohai ;  it 

him 
ami  hex  Kitzur  SA'ZA,  foL  17,  coL  1. 

'  balah  w<  1  ingular  in  this 

,-h.  Callah,  foL  58,  col 
M  Be  thai  Looks  upon  a  woman's  1.  0  act 

1  1  '.      e  after  m 
d  in  the  Z  ihar,  section 
apon  him  who  Is  wil  in  this 

:■!,  an  evil  spirit  wil]  joul  will 

fcODN  N1DD0  pint  which  has  no  holiness. 

Ibid.,  foL  18,  col  2. 

17.    .  f  the  K'  .'  '  dab  have  written  thai  it  be- 

in  him  the  1'        I  1  Leaven  to  have  a 
1 1  d,  in  order  that  (on  waking  in 
the  in  rning    he  m  I  -  four  ells  without 

walks   four  ells  without 
hing   his   hands    has   forfeited   his  life  as  a   divine 
punishment.  I  'd.t  foL  43,  coL  2. 

1 3.  When  a  man  is  dressing,  he  should  fust  put  on  the 
right  Bhi  I  till  he  has  put  on  and 

bould  fasten  the  1  •  i  ;_r  1 1 1 ,  as  it  is 
lulchan  Aruch.      Hnd.t  foL  44,  col.  2. 

19.  The  following  are  Borne  of  the  many  laws  relating 

the  Shemonah-esreh,  or  the  eighteen  blessings  which 

form  tional  part  of  daily  worship,  and  which 

times  on  (ordinary)  week-days,  and 

:    times  on   Sal /oaths,  new   moons,  and  on   appointed 

-  : — 

I    1 1  .fore  commencing  the  Shemonah-esreh  one  should 


334  A  TALMUDJC  MISCELLANY. 

k  three  paces,  in  order  to  be  able  to  advan 
i.     The  reason  of  this   is  that  Moses  our   Rabbi — 
•on  him! — advanced  before  his  prayer  into  the 
three  divisions,  ^Snyi  py  TtPTT,  i       and 

thick    darkness"    (Deut.    iv.    u).     And   this    IS    also   the 
tfter  finishing  the  Shemonah-esreh  three  Bteps 
backward  are  to  be  made,  returning  through  the 
livisions. 

(/'.)  This  prayer  i;  1  standing,  and  the 

bo  joined  together  that  they  Bhould  seem  as  it  \ 
.  in  order  to  be  like  the  angels,  of  whom 
k.  i  7),  "And  their  f  \  (so  in  the  origi- 

nal) that  is  to  say,  their  feet  appeared  as 

:  >ot. 

(c.)  This  attitude  is  a  sign  that  f.  mo- 

tion he  cannot  pursue  and  attain  any  other  ol 

than  (  rod.       I  ther,  in- 

ing  to  Bignify  thereby  that  their  hands  are  as  it  \ 

bound;  but  we,  by  placing  our  I        I   »ether,  intend  to 

tify  that   I  '■'•  bich  is 

indi  :  humilit]  ith  the  hands  bound 

'  ill    run  away  in  '•  n   pleasure, 

which  he  cannot  do  when  the  feet  are  bound. 

E  ■ .  r  Sh'lhj  f<  L  2,  and  foL  49,  1  1  1. 

('/.)    It   is  lawful   for  himw]  nan   animal  to 

pray  the  eighteen  benedictions,  and  when  he  comes  to 
the  point  when  he  should  retrace  three  steps,  he  is  to 
back  the  animal  he  is  mounted  on  three  steps.  And  so 
also  it  is  lawful  to  pray  the  eighteen  blessings  when  sitting 
and  travelling  in  a  waggon.  Ibid.,  foL  49,  coL  1. 

(f.)  It  is  necessary  to  pay  attention  to  the  feet  when 

worship]  ats  "  Holy !  holy!  holy!"  and  he  is 

to  lift  up  his  eyes   towards  heaven.     At  the  instant  the 

K:  Idushah  is  repeated  he  needs  only  lift  up  his  heels,  and 

thereby  his  body  from  the    earth  towards  heaven.  .  .  . 


CHAPTER  XVII.  335 

According  to  Tanchuma  it  is  necessary  to  lift  up  the  feet 

from  the  earth  all  r,  after  the  example  of  the  angels, 

.  it  is  written  (Isa,  vi.  2),  "And  with  two  he  did 

fly."     It  is  from   this  text  that  the  sages  have  ordained 
that  a  man   should   fly  up   (as  it  were)   when   he  repeats 

'•  II.  lv  :  holy  :  holy!"  Trw  mum.    And  Let  the  chooser 
:  nal  either  to  lift  op  the  heels  only 
i  jump.  Kitzur  Sh'Ui,  foL  49,  col.  1. 

NOTE.      Any   one   who   visits  a  synagogue   may  notice  the 
f  this  practice.     In  the  synagogues  of  the 
Chassidim,  jumping  is  pi  1  lifting  up  the  heels. 

(f.)   It    is   written  (Pa  cii.    17),  "He  will   regard  the 

and  it  is  not  written,  "He  will 
hear."     What  else  can  the  term  "regard"  mean  than  that 

d  between   the  prayer  of  an  indi- 
vidual  and   I  of  a  community?     For  when   a 

■    1   enters  before  the  Holy 

I    be   He! — and   He  is  not  particular  to  re- 

I   and   critic]  works   and  their  intentions  and 

bs,  but  l  their  prayers  immediately.     But 

when   an    individual   prays,    the    Holy   One — blessed    be 

He!     regards  and  scrutinises  his  heart,  whether   it  be 

out  and  whether  lie  be  a  righteous  man.     Therefore, 

should   alw.  .    with  the   community,  and  this 

La  why  the  text  (Ps.  cvii  17 1  ends  with  the  words,  "  And 

not  their  prayer."     Although  there  are  some  of 

the  community  whose  prayers,  on   account  of  their  evil 

rve  to  be  despised,  He,  nevertheless,  does  not 

yer.  Ibid. t  foL  51,  coL  1. 

20.  A  man  should  study  less  on  Friday,  that  he  may 
occupy  himself  with  the  preparation  for  the  Sabbath.  And 
accordingly  we  find  in  the  Gemara  that  some  of  the  great 
and  esteemed  sages  occupied  themselves  on  that  day  in 
preparing  what  was  needed  for  the  Sabbath.  Therefore, 
though  one  may  have  many  servants  to  wait  upon  him, 


336  A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

it  is  a  great  merit  personally  to  prepare  for  the  want-  of 
the  Sabbath  in  order  thus  to  honour  it ;  and  let  him  not 
think  i:  bory   to  his   own  honour  to  honour  the 

'  ath  thus,  for  it  is  his  honour  to  honour  the  Sabbath. 
It  La  wi  '1  men  was 

in  the  habit  of  sweeping  away  th  in  his  h 

(in  honour  of  the  Sabbath),  and  it  is  well  known  to 
initiated  what  a  wonderful  nv  htheun- 

irits  from  the  house,  y^TI,      /  And  t]  »ugh 

fur  him  thai  an  Lerstands  "  i  w 

A  \  fol  61,  coL  i. 

21.  I >ne    should   I 

never  on  Th  will  comm 

growing  ith.     II         raid  ;  ire  the 

nails  of  the  left  hand  lit  aing  at  tin;  fourth  fil 

and  ending  v  thumb;  and  then  he  Bhould  pare 

nails  of  the  right   1    i  inning  with  the  thumb  and 

ending  with  the  fourth  fin.  ild  aot  vary 

followin  :—  41I1.  21,  ;:h.  3.1,  1st  of  the  I  ti  hand; 

then  the   1  \  3d,  5th,  2d,  4th  of  the  right  hand.     N 

•  ber,  for  i 
1 
about  the  order  for  paring  the  □  well 

known  to  the  Ibid. 

22.  (a.)  In  the  Zohar  it  is  explained  that  tlic  benefit  of 
immersion  on  Friday  amounts  to  the  restoration  of  the 
sonl  to  h  for  lie  who  is  bodily  unclean  has 
no  soul.  IbicL,  fol  61,  col.  2. 

(b.)  Before  entering  the  mpD,  plunging-bath,  he  is  to 

repeat  (Gen.  i.  10),  "And  God  called  the  dry  land  earth, 
and  the  (np,^)  gathering  I  c  of  the  waters  called  He 

seas."     When  he  in  the  water  he  is  to  repeat  seven 

times  (Ps.  li.  10),  "  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  0  God,  and 
renew  a  right  spirit  within  me,"  for  the  initials  of  2b" 
Nil"  "lirrj",  (i  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,"  form  the  word 


CHAPTER  XVIL  337 

/3t9,  c*1  to  immerse.     For  it  is  through  im- 

iun  that  the  andean  Bpirita  and  the  N"ina  nt^d, 

tparated  from  him.  and  he  becomes  a 

tore  by  examining  and  confessing  his  (evil)  deeds, 

and  forsaking  them,  and  by  engaging  himself  in  repentance, 

and  immersing  himself,  and  meditating  on  elevating  bud- 

.  and  especially  so  if  lie  lias  immersed  himself  four- 

Ktizur  Sh'lhj  foL  61,  coL  1. 

(V.)  When  standing  in  the  water  he  is  to  stoop  four 
times,  so  that  th  reach  his  neck,  answering  to 

•111  inn.     After  that  he  is  to 

don,  and  while  the  water  readies 

up  t<>  Ids  throat  he:  these  thi  — Micah 

vii.  1S-20,  Jer.  x.  24,  and   Ps.  cxviii  5,  and  then  say,  "As 

I  iw,  which  is  formed  of  clay, 

ngelfl  cleanse  my  soul,  spirit,  and 

in  the  river  Dinor;  and  aa  I  sanctify  my  body 

may  the  angels  of  the  Most  High,  the 

ministering  angels,  Banctify  my  spirit,  soul,  and  ghost  in 

Dinor  above!     In  the  name  of  Jehovah,  He  is 

( rod  and  in  the  name  of  Adonai,  the  Rock  of  all  Ages. 

I ;]  !  of  the  glory  of  His  kingdom  for  ever 

more  I  Ibid,t  foL  62,  col.  1. 

Note.— According  to  the  Kabbalah,  the  thoroughgoing  ortho- 
dox .lew  li:i>  his  1  lands  full  on  Erev  Shabbath,  i.e.t  Friday. 
We  cannot  here  gooverthe  entire  proceeding  prescribed, 
we  will  briefly  touch  upon  its  salient  features  in 
the  order  as  we  find  them. 

iving  prepared  himself  for  immersion,  as  above 

ibed,  he  Lb  to  turn  bia  face  and  bow  first  towards 

the  west  and  then  towards  the  east,  repeating  a  certain 

formula,  and  then  dip  himself  under  the  water.     This 

over,  he  is  bo  turn  again  east  and  west  and  repeat  a  dif- 

rmula,  and  while  meditating  on  certain  given 

:  3  of  certain  mystic  il  divine  names  and  other  known 

words,  and  their  respective  numerical  values,  he  is  to  dip 

md  time  under  the  wain-.    Then  turning  and  bowing 

:.  I  east,  repeating  the  while  a  different  for- 

Y 


333  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

mula,  he  proceeds  to  meditate  on  different  letters  of  the 
divine  names,  and  dips  for  the  third  and  last  time. 
As  dipping  fourteen  times  is  the  exception  and  not  the 
rule,  no  farther  directions  are  given  about  the  matter, 
except  a  few  additional  formulas  and  meditations. 

When  he  comes  out  of  the  water  he  is  to  step  back- 
ward in  the  same  respectful  manner  as  when  he  leaves 
the  synagogue,  and  is  to  repeat  Isa.  iv.  3,  4,  and  Rabbi 
Akiva's  commentary  on  the  text  Ezek.  xxxvi.  25. 

When  he  begins  dressing  he  is  to  repeat  Isa.  liv.  17, 
and  when  he  subsequently  washes  his  face  and  hands  and 
feet  in  warm  water,  to  which  is  attached  a  great  mystery, 
he  is  to  say,  "  Behold,  here  I  am,  washing  myself  in 
honour  of  Sabbath  the  queen ; '  and  add  also  Isa.  iv.  4, 
and  also,  "I  have  washed  my  feet;  how  shall  I  defile 
them?"     (Cant.  v.  3.) 

Happy  is  he  who  is  able  to  provide  himself  with  a 
complete  suit  of  apparel  down  to  the  girdle,  the  shoes 
and  the  hat  for  wearing  on  the  Sabbath,  different  from 
those  worn  on  week-days.  Then  he  is  to  repeat  the 
Book  of  Solomon's  Song,  and  if  unable  to  repeat  the 
whole,  he  is,  at  all  events,  to  repeat  these  four  verses,  the 
initials  of  the  first  word  in  each  of  which  taken  together 
form  the  word  Jacob,  Cant,  i.  2,  ii.  10,  ii.  8,  v.  1. 
After  this  he  is  to  repeat  certain  portions  of  the  Mishnah, 
and  something  of  the  Zohar  or  some  other  Kabbalistic 
work. 

This  over,  the  devout  Israelite  goes  to  the  synagogue 
to  meet  his  God  as  the  bridegroom,  and  to  receive  the 
Sabbath  as  the  bride.  The  service  is  well  worthy  of  re- 
hearsal, but  we  must  refer  for  details  to  the  Liturgy. 

The  Israelite  returns  home  from  the  synagogue  accom- 
panied by  two  angels,  one  good  and  the  other  evil ;  and 
according  to  the  condition  of  the  domestic  arrangements 
when  he  re-enters,  he  is  blessed  by  the  good  angel  or 
cursed  by  the  evil  one.  (See  more  in  chap.  ii.  No.  7, 
supra.) 

The  Israelite  is  solemnly  warned  not  to  quarrel  with 
his  wife  on  Sabbath-eve,  for  the  devils  are  very  busy 
then  to  stir  up  more  strife,  as  is  illustrated  by  the  story 
of  Rabbi  Meir. 

Having  repeated  the  usual  hymn  appointed  for  the 
Sabbath-eve,  and  pronounced  the  form  of  blessing 
over  the  cup  of  wine,  he  and  his  family  commence  their 
supper,  which  is  carefully  prepared  of  the  very  choicest 


CHAPTER  XVIL  339 

viands,  flesh  and  fish  included.  Hymns  and  a  certain 
form  of  blessing  after  the  meal  complete  the  family 
duties  of  the  day,  and  all  retire  to  rest.  The  head  of 
the  family,  if  he  be  a  pious  Israelite,  and  especially  a 
disciple  of  the  wise,  has  a  particular  duty  to  perform — 
a  duty  which  is  based  on  Scripture  and  on  the  following 
text  (Exod.  xxxi.  16),  "  Wherefore  the  children  of  Israel 
shall  keep  the  Sabbath."  The  initial  letters  of  ^2" 
nilOT  ntf"  iwi^"  make  up  the  word  n&03,  but  what  this 
word  means  must  remain  a  mystery  to  all  those  who  are 
not  initiated  into  the  hidden  things  of  the  Kabbalah. 
(The  ordinary  Hebrew  scholar,  however,  will  know  what 
n&Oa  means.)     {Kitzur  Sh'lhj  fol.  64,  col.  1.) 

23.  Of  the  laws  relating  to  the  Sabbath  we  can  here 
only  enumerate  a  few ;  and  we  must  deal  with  these  as 
briefly  as  possible,  consistently  with  justice  to  the  sub- 
ject ;  we  shall,  however,  take  them  in  order  as  detailed 
in  the  book  before  us,  and  carefully  rendered  by  us. 

Jewish  women,  maid-servants  and  girls  are  warned  not 
to  order  a  Gentile  woman  on  the  Sabbath  to  do  this  or 
that,  but  they  may  instruct  her  on  a  work-day  what  she 
is  to  do  on  the  Sabbath. 

Geese,  fowl,  cats,  dog^s,  &c,  are  not  to  be  handled  on 
the  Sabbath.  Neither  are  pocket-handkerchiefs,  spec- 
tacles, &c,  to  be  carried  on  the  Sabbath  in  an  unwalled 
town  or  village.  Eadishes  are  not  to  be  salted  in  quan- 
tities, but  each  piece  is  to  be  dipped  separately  in  salt 
and  eaten.  After  dinner  the  Israelite  is  to  take  a  siesta, 
for  each  letter  of  JY'2"ttf"  forms  the  initial  of  a  word,  and 
the  words  thus  formed  are  :W  D2V2"  HW,  "  Sleep 
on  the  Sabbath  is  a  delight."  (See  Isa.  lviii.  13.)  Before 
he  dozes  off  he  is  to  repeat  the  last  verse  of  the  90th  and 
the  whole  of  the  91st  Psalm.  The  salutation  should  not 
be,  as  on  working-days,  "  Good  morning,"  but  "  Good 
Sabbath ; "  for  respecting  this  it  is  said  (Exod.  xx.  8), 
"  Kemember  the  Sabbath-day  to  keep  it  holy."  He  is  not 
to  rise  on  the  Sabbath  as  early  as  on  the  other  days  of 
the  week,  and  this  is  based  on  Scripture.     He  is  to  be 


34o  A   TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY. 

.  careful  with  the  fur  garments  that  he  may  be  w 

ing,  I  should  pluck  a  hair  therefrom,  and  for  the 

pain  he  Lb  nol  to  scratch  his  head  or  touch  his 

I  on  the  Sabbath.     He  lb  not  to  wash  his  hands  with 

salt  or  soap  on  the  Sabbath,  nor  may  he  play  at  ball ;  he 

Lb  not  to  knock  with  t:  i  on  a  do<  r,  or  ring  the 

11 ;  nor,  if  he  has  married  a  widow,  Lb  b 

I  with  her  on  thi  S  .  65-67. 

24.  At   the  Sabl  ith  he  Is       proi 

■  tchnically  termed  >lTT3n 

bath,  as 
given  in  the  pi  II  •  1  his 

il  and   -■    '     11  imavdil,"  the  first  •  of 

which  runs  thus : — 

I  I  en  the  holy 

:  Inn  our 
I    multiply  our  1  the 

In'    Js    to 

•   morning,  in  I  rid 

the  evil  spirits  that  have  hai  .  there  during  the 

rtop  HNDb  yw  Qy&m  *ud  the  1  1  known 

to  the  Lords  of  th''  Kabbalah,  /  '/.,  foL  71,  coL  1. 


25.  It  of  hymns 

and  ads  wherein  Elijah  the    Prophet   is 

mentioned,  I  ad  bring  the 

tidin  a,  for  it  is  ti         bal  '1  in  Tosephta, 

Ls  in  writing  the 
merits  of  those  that  -  1 

particular  repeat,  and  th  pious  write, "  Elijah  the 

Elijah  the  Prophet,  Elijah  the  Prophet,"  a  hun- 
dred and  thirty  times,  ;  .  fcPMlvrtlfc  "Elijah  the  Pro- 


CHAPTER  XVII.  34i 

phet,"  by  Gematria  equals  120,  to  which  add    10,  the 
Dumber  of  the  Letters,  and  the  total  is  130. 

Kitzur  Sh'lh)  fill.  71,  col.  1. 

-C^  _.~s,  ^n  vL,Nn  ^Kn,  m^,  rxnL,  m^  ^nK  USC,S% 

brow  »r6iti  --x-  nSan  bi«rp  mta*  nani  nviA  »AnK  m^« 

m6*i  rAw  fo6*n  A*Kn  i*6rr  Arm*  ix^n^  )*n*&  A»n«  v.-6s 

s_.„  ._>s,  s.._  ...xn  K^n,  ^n^,  w%n^  ^^  ^nK  ^n^ 

kN""  6rmi  bairn  bwn  bwm  rAut?  \xir6  wwb  ^nnx  mSs 
16m  ^nw  *6vn  6mn  i6irr  brine  snn^  »rm6  ^inx  »robK 
6nm  rw&i  6wn  iu*bn  rfotv  wn6*  nwb  ux^  n^i«  ir6»* 

bwm  »ni6*  bwn  »n6n  brow  rro&  »n*ob  nnrt  *nbi«  rob*K 

x>._.  _s...  >vr._  .N._  _s...  >s__  n^  1xn,i?  n^w  ^n,x 

»i6m  kh^i  n —  mbn  Rnbv  tonb*  kh^  wn*b  bma  birrs 

wN._.  ,s_»,   s s.-^  L,sr;r   nj<r,  >i<7]>^  ^-^  ^nw  nL,VN% 

M —  n— 1  b**in  mbn  fc6nv  Rm^  wmb  nsr^^ms  hnys 
m*bn  m^M  >~--s  -.-rx  -—x  lrvfa  wvbK  irrbx  m^K  ln^N 

:••  Da  irrbn  Dnsye  ^  now  ppnpnon 

. — 'I'll-'  Hebrew  words  in  the  above  may  look  exactly 

tin-  Bame,  bui  they  are  not,  as  tin-  careful  reader  will 

:k.     In  fact,  "Ut  of  tin'  first  hundred  and  twenty, 

two  are  Bpell  precisely  alike,  though  they  all  consist 

of  tin-  same  1 « •  1 1 ♦  i* - .      Tin-  reader  will  understand  the 

:  this  precious  rlabbalistic  curiosity  if  he  will 

take  the  trouble  of  transposing  tin1  Letters  of  the  English 

equivalent  thus : — ■ 

ii  Ehlija  Ejahli  Eijahl  Elhija 

Elahij  Kljahi  Elhaji  Eljiah  Ealijh 

Eahhj  Eajhli  Eaijhl  Kall.ij  Ehalij 

Ehlaij  Ehijla  Ehjial  Ehialj  Ehjail 


26.  Tii-  last  dav  of  lli«-'  month  is  called  pp  TISD  DV, 

I  Day  of  A  at"  and  it  is  tit  and  proper 

to  do  penance  on  that  day.    On  the  first  day  of  the  month 

'     V.  /:    -Elijah  in  Hebrew  lias  five  letters  and  in  English  fltg,  and  there- 
in  English  can  be  transposed  more  than  one  hundred  and  twenty  times. 
Perhaps  some  reader  ->f  a  Kabbalistica]  turn  of  mind  may  Lave  the  i  atieuce 
-v  out  all  un  paper  fur  the  benefit  of  the  curious. 


A  TALMUDIC  MISCELLANY, 

it  is  a  pi  '  to  prepare  an  extra  dish  for  dinner  in 

honour  of  the  day.    God  has  given  the  first  of  the  month 
itival)  more  for  women  than  for  men,  because  the 
•  animal  festivals  are  according  to  the  three  patriarchs, 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  because  the  twelve  months 
rding  to  the  twelv  ;  and  as  the  tribes  sinned 

in  the  matter  of  the  golden  calf,  and  the  women    - 
unwilling  to  give  up  their  golden  earrings  for  that  idola- 
trous purpose,  tl  that  God  Bhould 
give  them  as  their  reward  I  of  the  twelve 
to  the  number  of  the  ti  i 

K  ' .  r  $  "  .  foL  ;-\  coL  i. 

27.  II  is  a  very  pious  act  to  bless  the  moon  at  tl 
of  the  Sabbath,  when  one  is  dresse  1  in  his  !>•  and 

imed.    It'  the  I'l  :  formed  <>n  the  even- 

ing of  an  ordinary  v,  best  dress  is  to  be  worn. 

A      rding  to  the  Kabbal  '  3  upon  the  moon 

1  till  seven  full  1  rth,  but, 

r  authorities,  tin's  may  be  done  sfter  tl 
Tif  reason  for  not  .;m_r  this  monthly 

nil'!  Imt  in  the  open  air,  is  b  bis  consid 

oce  of  the  Shechinah,  and  it 

would  1.  but  in  the  <»]>«-n 

air.     1-  very  much  upon  circumstances  when  and 

where  the  new  moon  is  to  1  1.  and  also  upon 

m  predisposit  authorities  differ.     We  will 

!  with  th  usion  of  the   Kii/ur 

Shin  "ii  the  which,  at  p.  72,  coL  2,  runs  thus: — 

"When  about  to  sanctify  the  new  moon,  one  should 

ighten  his  feel  3hemonah-esreh)  and 

at  the  moon  as  to  repeat  the 

ritual  blessing,  and  having  commenced  it  he  Bhould  not 
look  at  her  nt  all.  Tims  should  he  begin — '  In  the  united 
name  of  the  Holy  and  Bl  :  One  and  His  Shechinah, 
through  that  Hidden  and  I  'micealed  One  !  and  in  the  name 
of  all  Israel !'     Then  he  is  to  proceed  with  the  '  Form  of 


CHAPTER  XVII.  343 

Pi  yer  for  the  New  Moon/  word  for  word,  without  L  i 
but  with  solemn  deliberation,  and  when  he  repeats — 

TK-na  —2-;--  --2  -;:-;  ^na  y\w -pna 

la  thy  Maker,  blessed  ia  thy  Posi 

bh 

.  tlif  initial-  <>f  the  four  divine  epithets 
which  form  2  p  y  '  .  f  J  the  moon,  which  is  called 

mblem  or  symbol,  and  he  is  also 
1  'littli  Amos  vii.  2).    This  he  is  to  repeat 

three  times.     Be  is  to  skip  three  times  while  repeating 
thrice  the  following  sentence,  and  after  repeating  throe 
times  forwards  and  backwards  :  thus  {forwards) — l  Pear  and 
.11  upoD  them  1>  itness  of  Thine  arm; 

..  ickwards] — 'Still 

v  they  I  ine  arm  may 

:,tll  on  them;'  he  then  is  to  say  to  his 
hbour  three  times,  '  P(    se  1"'  unto  you,'  and  the  neigh- 
bour is  to   respond   three  times,  '  Unto  you  be  peace.' 
Then  he  is  to  say  three  timi  loudly),  'David,  the 

king  1,  liveth  and  existeth!'  and  finally,  lie  is  to 

say  three  timi 

i|OM  Ls~-"  L:L>  *:L  n-%  yuc  Lr:)  aiB  |D*D 
•  Ma;.  i  Luck  be  upon  ui  and  upon  all  Israel !   Amen.'  ' 

.y  r:n 
Pi  rf>  >t  and  finish  d  j  God  the  Creator  of  the  world! 


[77'/.   two  following  extracts  belong  to  chaps,  vi  and  xii. 

■  miited,     They  a 
such  interest,  however \  that  tJu  oUls  it 

n  h  /•'.] 

(a.)  Sia  blasts  of  the  horn  were  blown  on  Sabbathn 
The  first  was  to  the  Labourers  in  the  fields  from 

their  work;  those  that  worked  near  the  city  waited 
•  that  work. 'J  at  a  distince,  and  all  entered  the  | 
ther.     D  1  blast  was  to  warn  the  citizen 

Buspend  mployments  and  to  shut  np  their  shops, 

A-  tii.-  third  blast  the  women  were  t"  have  ready  the 
various  dishes  they  laid  prepared  for  the  Sabbath  and  to 
light  the  lamps  in  honour  oi  y.     Then  three  moie 

blown  in  .  ...  and  the   S       ith  com- 

mem  L  35,  coL  2. 

(b.)  Rav  llunn  h  in  tip' 

hank  of  a  river  ;  when  it  ider  and 

wider."  ...  A   certain  man  used  t.>  :_r<>  about  and 

"Bl 1  is  he  who  submits  1  .  achand  t,for 

nhundr-  at  from  him."     Shemuel  -aid  t<»  1;  ■. 

iuda,  "It  i-  written  in  Scripture  (Prov.  xvii.  14).  'The 

..in  wat< 
:•'  (in  Hebrew  is  p"TD,  the  numerical  value  of  which 
is  100)  is  the  beginning  of  a  hundred  lawsuits. 

S  nhedrin,  fol.  7,  col.  1. 


INDEX  I. 


.    iracts 
from  the  Ted 


am  m 

i. 

i. 
ii. 
iii. 
It. 

\ . 

r, 

. 
xii. 
xii. 
x  ii. 
xiv. 
xiv. 
\v. 

XV. 

xvii. 

xvii. 

xviii. 

. 

xviii. 

xviii. 

xix. 

xix. 

xxiv. 
xxiv. 
xxiv. 
xxv. 
xxvi. 
xxvi. 

I  W  1  . 

xxvii. 
xwii. 
xxvii. 

WWII. 


r  ... 

27  .... 

8  

8  .... 

10  1  1  -• 

5  .... 

3  42 

5  .... 

M   

9   

....  ss 

8  .... 
15  .... 

1 

17  31 

11    8 

18  8 

...  5* 

,...I4S 

15  

25  84 

1   217 

1      IOI 

3>  53 

29  

5  5* 

5  57 

12  

2  27'j 

33  101 

45  187 

11  a 


XWUl. 

1 

XXX. 

xxxiii. 
xli. 

1. 
1. 
1. 

L 

: 

ii. 
iii. 

iii. 
v. 

vi. 

vi. 

vi. 
viii. 
viii. 
xii. 

xii. 

XV. 
XV. 

XVlii. 

xviii. 

xix. 
xix. 
xx. 

.XX. 
XX. 
XX. 
XX. 

xxi. 
xxi. 

xxii. 

xxii. 


12  

...264 

1 

11  .... 

27  .... 

- 

- 

5  - 
10 

21  ... 

25  .... 

M  38 

2  234 

8  ■; 

23  185 

1  185 

6  74 

7  74 

6  11 

277 

40  278 

16  88 

17  88 

...140 

10  278 

21  277 

20  133 

20  

1-10  139 

7  45 

8  12 

20  50 

24  1 

10  141 

35  2I° 

1  86 

6  22 


xxii.    [8    

\x:i.    bS    3 

1.     a  247 

xxiu.  7  .... 

xw.     a  1  _-.j. 

xxix.      7    

xxx.   24   

xixi.      a    

.xxx iii.      8    

dii.  11   .... 

.x  \  1 1  v .  7 

xxxiv.   20  86 

xxxiv.  23    .... 

xxxiv.   24   155 

Li.\  up 

ii.    39   65 

M.  i    . 

209 

xi.  a 

,...xi8 

xi.   46  92 

xni.    IO  179 

-xiii.    IS    14 

xiii.   34   179 

xiii.  25   ... 

*▼.  43  J75 

xvi.   30   58 

xvi.   B-XO  188 

xix.     9  191 

xix.    19   146 

xix.   20  209 

xix.   21    209 

xix.   36  228 

xxiii.  22  223 

xxiv.    14  206 

xxiv.  23   177 

XXT.    55    152 

xxvi.  3-13  175 

xxvi.   37   38 

xxvi.  3S   80 


INDEX  I. 


...209 
x.  36  213 

59  85 

xii.    14   182 

xiii.   99  1  . 

I2Q 

. 

. 
xvi. 

xvi.   33  ., 
xwii.     8   108 

six.  x  i 

■ 

L         7     

xxvii.     >w, 
• 
;ii.   38   102 

: 

i.    17   ... 

.236 
iv.      .; 

....    40 

v. 

v. 

v.   12        ....  ia 

1 

vi.  I 

vi.  g   8 

x.  16      114 

x.  17   270 

xi.  19  ... 

*»•     3   14 

in.     4   14 

xiii.     9    165 

xiii. 

xiii.    14   202 

xiii.    18   50 

*»▼.     1  'S3 

xiv.   2')   38 

xvii.     6  215 

xvii.     7   207 

xvii.    11    165 

xvii.    i'j   274 

215 

xxi.    1   9   141 

xxi.   23  207 

xxii.    12  83 

xxii.    12   260 

xxiii.     4   147 

xxiii.  28   142 

x-xv.  5-10  97 


xxv.    10  180 

xxvi.    17   10 

xxvi.    i3   10 

xxviii.  1-4   . 

KXTUL    12    

XXM::.  ' 

xxviii.  15-68 

xxix.    23   

x\x.  2  >   .  ... 

x\\.    90   41 

90   92 

..1.  4    ..   . 

xxxiii.  .; 
• 

xwiv.  1    .  . 
\ 

i.  1 

i 

vi.  !  • 

....    87 

. 

IV. 

V.      12     I  IO 

31 

Li.  3  ...          17 

ii.     S   182 

ii.  6 

xii. 

xvi.      8   102 

I  I.— 

v.       -  IOI 

v>-    »    99 

....   38 

x.  9  ... 

ox.  35     2I3 

xxii.    11    145 

xxiii.     5   

xxiii.      o   

xxiv.  24   250 

x  x  x  i .    13     113 

1  King 

i.  40  .... 

ii.    11    101 

vi.     7  94 

vi.  12   ... 

xi.    16  180 

xiv.   91,  31 161 

xviii.     4  216 

xviii.  37   26 

xviii.   37   129 

xviii.   33   100 


2  Euros-— 

\  ni.     2   42 

:      .  too 

\  \  i .  i '  >   . 

wii.  1  ; 

\w.    5    124 

1 

Mil.     38     243 

xvii.   21    10 

\\i.   95    250 

\wi.  -,  -    . 
2   0HBONI4  1 

vi.  42  178 

I 
.    1 

\\\1.  l'> 

\\\i.     4   

w 
\  \  1  i  I . 

xxxiii.      7 79 

\wiii.    [9   

• :  \H 

vni.  4 

i\.  o   ...           1     • 
BOTH] 

v.  t   .... 

v.  1 1              1   a 

\i.  13 

ii.    11    227 

i\.     a  6  217 

iv.  12 

iv.  17                       II 

xi.  20  ...               1 
xii. 

xii.  1. 

xii.  20  ... 

**vi.     o  

ni.     8   

:;i.   23    254 

/   76 

\wiv.    35    11 

xwviii.     7   63 

ix.      1    10 

\1.   [6  257 

xii.  32  1  . ; 

:>  — 

i-     «   34 

ii.    11    240 

iii-     7  4i 

viii.     2   40 

viii-     4   253 

viii.     5   191 

viii.     6  253 

viii.     9  253 

x.     4  40 


INDEX  I. 


347 


. 

wi. 

. 

XXIV. 

:. 
.. 
I 

\1. 

. 

1. 
1. 
1. 
Ii 

ll. 

Kwiv. 

I 

Lxxix. 

. 
xci. 
xcii. 
xcii. 

cii. 

cii. 
ciii. 
riii. 
civ. 
civ. 

civ. 


i  «3 

...  25 

: 

7  ... 

•  MS 

8   

i 
1 1    ... 

■ 

17  ... 

....    77 
'  M 

■ 

i  i  t 

: 

i 

I 

i   a 

. 

88 

1 
i 
i         204 

1 

- 
:  i 

—  ... 

I 
7   ... 
1 

...   89 

;  ; 

23   

11  ... 

12  ... 

—  81 

24   88 

158 

35  


4-8   73 

69 

cvii.    14    104 

-3   73 

on  ii.   34   73 

31    73 

I 

. 

....   30 

133 

170 

cwi. 

OXTJ.     15   ... 

5 

cxriii,  25  ... 

101 

.    1  j 

1 
I 

B  238 

C  \  I  1         I 

cxl\i. 

cxlvi.  8  256 

I 

ii.  2  24 

; 

viii.  21  237 

vni.  2J  83 

iv.  S  -           "  I 

i\.    s  ... 

t      -   M3 

....     5 
;  107 

M. 

118 

7  279 

riv.  34  3s 

x  \  11.    10  1 

DC     3  30 

.wi.      9  1; 

wi.    [4  ... 

1.    14  196 

mii   13  44 

txr.   13  95 

xw.  l6    75 

x  w.  31    1  1  [ 

xw.  22     1X4 

1.  11    \\ 

xxvii.  21   174 


'"     33 

w  \ .    1  w    9 

220 

I 

i. 

i.    i-'   

i 

ii-     8   

ii.   XO   

It.    j  ... 

vii.    14   10 

ii    25 

....  98 

iii.     ;. 

I     - 
i.      1 

ii.  1 

iii.  1  251 

iii.  2  ... 

in.  3  ... 

iii 

1 .  i 
%  '•     3 

1  •     3  7i 

*i    3  72 

1  11.  a  1  . 

Mil.     I  }    200 

...147 
...I02 

ni.     1  35 

- 

wii.  1  }  28 

-wni.  13  70 

xx iii.  15  u 

wv.  9  130 

w\ii.  11  17 

w\  ii.  13  80 

-wvii.  13  

K>7 

w\    1  ;  186 

•..   [8  262 

\\\.  20  209 

w\.  26  263 

w\i.     u   29 

xwv.    id   273 

\1.  ra  154 

\1.  21  38 

xli.  7  iq 

xli.  8  56 

xli\.  M  

1.  2  128 

Iii.  S  7° 

liv.  12  33 

liv.  12  184 

lvi.  4  27 

hi.  7 27 

lvi.  7  129 


>4S 


INDEX  1. 


lvii.      2   138 

h  iii.  7,  8   ... 

Ixv-   -5  34 

ben.     1  83 

lwi.    10  125 

ben-  15  154 

lwi.   24   155 

Ji:i:l.MiAH  — 

»i-   19  =75 

9  1  e6 

1  98 

wii.   18  20 

10 

.  1  1 
wiii.   39   .... 

)  36 

3   147 

. 

xwni.    11    

\l\iii.    10  180 

\li\.      6   147 

lii.    12   ... 

Lakes  i  i  i  [ons— 

ii.      2   974 

ii.     3    . .. 

»•     9  T" 

iii.      ' 

iii. 
iv 

;  .80 

.w  111.      4    228 

\\i.  6  i>.j 

\\i.  7  K.J 

wi.  17  ... 

wi.  31  107 

.  14  7S 

1x5 

w 

wwii.  13  ... 


xliv. 
\  1  i  v. 

div. 

1'AMI.L    - 

i. 

i. 
i. 

St. 

: : 

ii. 
iii. 
iv. 
iv. 
iv. 

\ . 
\i\ . 

i. 
ii. 

ii. 
iii. 

\  ii. 

vii, 

\  iii. 
i\. 
JOHAB 

1. 

ii. 

ii. 
iii. 
Micah  - 
iv. 
iv. 

\ . 

\ . 

\ . 

\  i. 

HABAKKI 

ii. 

ii. 
iii. 
iii. 


2  ... 

'5   179 

30  3^ 

4   88 

4   102 

5   88 

■ 

4   .... 

..1 10 

A 

15  '  15 

4    S 

I 

20   115 

4    7'' 

: 

....   7'' 
7  ... 

- 
1  1  j 

3   

a  29 

10  

....  70 

'• 
109 

...145 

K  — 

3  ... 

4  ... 
2  .. 

6  no 


LNIAH— 

I  IS  16 

M— 

L     8  

ii.     q  .... 

Zi.<  HAKIAH  — 

»•   20  77 

Ii    3  

ii-     S   

\  ii.    1:     98 

\  iii.    to  i'  ^ 

viiL  93  ... 

\i.     1 

Kj.  7    

\i.  13   170 

xiii.  9   50 

mv.  .;  .     I 

nv.    4  14S 

\i\-.      8    1  ;  i 

M.U.Ai  HI  — 

iii.  16   95 

111.  1 

in.  [8    .... 

iv. 

!▼•     1   5^ 

.  11IKW  — 

...    3 
viii.  30  946 

\iii.    1-            ...  1  :  : 
1 

Li.  20  10 

'• 

i    1 

o 

N  — 

I 

I 
'■ 

i.      2    

2  Timothy— 

iv.  6-8  16 


i  xi )  i :  x  1 1 


I  in  th  i§  It 

I 


''•3 

:  fl 

-'  :  . 

: .     i  i  : 
i  7 

AlT.li.   . 

i      jS 
A  7.    io 

■ 

. 

No  ill,  i  ;  ;. 
Adam*! 

l 
Adar,  [8l.  So 

5  I 

20 

-54-  93 
Affliction,  50.  4  ;  [12.  j  7 


■ 

:-    4 

'•••   7 

Ak.iv.  .51 

i '      '      :      1  1 .    :  '  :    :  | 

■ 

Akiv.-i,  R.,and  hia 

irnua  Rufu  .  1 
II       .     f) 

\i .   and    the    R 
Rome,  222.    21 
Akiva,  I:..   I  1  - 

.  I;.,  bia  pi         to,  ZI3     ;i 
Alexan 

n 
Alexander  and  ti. 

■  it  their  twelve  queries, 
22 

r,  210.  16S  (£) 

Alms,  - 

Almagiving,  38.  4  (A);  50.  34;  71. 

17 

5.  17 

note  (e) 
retz,  the,  9] .   7 

Ami.  ■!',  23.    15 

Ammoi   •  3  be,  147.  51 

Amoritee,  233.  41  {s) 


350 


INDEX  II. 


■    i  j 

:  f  [a) 
■  224.   30 

.  I  .. •  .  1  :~.  D    ' 
88   : 

7 
the   ministerii 

. 

.  note 

\    b,  the,  i 

-5 
■ 

bo  be  ahui 

9 
•■!.  Sabbath,  3  j8.  22, 

Ark,  t: 

7- 

.  in.  23;  273.  II;  i 

Aahmc 

14 

;'  the  day  of,  1 

Atonement,  the  litl 

ATodah  Z  urah,  2  \ 
75«  33 

Babtloh,  23,   15;  2  |8.  49 
Babylon,  the  returned  from,  1 

.  the,  241 . 

I 

|0  (») 

Balaao  I02;  30S.  73 

i .  48 

1  ■   !3 

Balak,  190.    122 

Banquet,  tl  .    223.    28, 

nob 

\2.    4I    (») 

Bath,  a  mud.  1S9.  120 
Bathing,  336.  22  (o),  (6),  (c) 
Bathing  at  Dim. sis,  174.  62 
Bath-Kol,  2.  4,  note 
Battering-rams,  269.  39 
Bavai  .  136,  note 

Beard,  the,  56.  40  (») 
Beard  of  Sennacherib,  269.  3S,  note 


tj     :  '       21 
j    1  I 
168 

B 

• 
1 

,13.  49,   DOte  ;    50.  34, 

m;     1    - 

Idah,  a,  44.   15  (c) 

■ 
Benjamin,  tl  .111.19 

:    224.    29 

1 

•      S 

le,  134.  14 

1 :  l 

Birth,  proclamation  !>•  I 

■  -.  17; 
13 

Blind,  the,  5.   18  .        .•    :   [4.  53 
Body,    the  human,    its    members, 

■  55 

.    1  :  1 

I  '  (0 

.  xiii. 

[62.  27;   1  : 

1  ]  1 

I'M.     144 

1  I 

th,  the,  73.  23 

I  .  1 

!       •/.       13 

■  dnese,  236.  42 
Broth,  .i),  47.  21 

\  255.   2 
207,  20S. 
Butcher,  ;i  prosperous,  170.  48 
Bui   ber,  knives  of  the,  62.  57 
Buying  and  selling,  7.    24 

Byther,  245.  67;  269.  39 

C.v.<ak  and  the  lion,  249.   79 

-  Rav,  244.  63 
Cain,  325.   9,  10 
Calamity,  national,  27,  29 
Calf,  a  magic,  234.  41  («) 
Calves,  len,  26.  26 

Canaan,  his  p.iidetitic,  82.   5 
Candelabra,  the  Temple,  258.  12 


INDEX  11. 


35' 


•.mi.  i 

'  Qi  '73    57 

1  i    j     14 

4- 
1 

.'    1 .    107 

four,  77.  40 

I 
1 

171.  50 

;.  60 

.     ;.  46 
Cenaun  .  1 
'  7°'  9 

>.   1 

•    61 

1 

(o),     J 

.    115;    1  . . 

21.} 

;   I  73.  01 

1 

.    :  .  .    .     I      ; 
1  :k,  30O. 

.   I:  .  1    5.   147 
Childi  :  1.  note  (») 

Children  in  the  vromb,  00.  60 
Chilpa,      7,  71 

"    37 
( !honi  and  I  •  ,  197.   155 

Christmas,  120.  1,  noi 

<  licero,  229.  41. 

1   ;v  29 
.  the  Roman  gov* 
ernment,  64.  60 
Ciroum  ij  with,  312. 

I 

1  -.7.  50 
1     and  unclean,  14.  54  ;  191 

1  7  34 

40 

•  -3-  15  (") 
54.  40  (/>) 

.  I^>2.  25 

Commandmenta,   the    ten,    3.    7; 
139.  24 

C  iiim. liniments,  positive  ami  nega- 
tive, 8.  25  ;   13.  48,  51  ;  250.84, 

imeroe,  215.  4 


Complainera  irho  receive  no 

pathy,  00.  44 
Condi  .  •.  85 

'  93 

a,  128.  r,  2  j  134.  12 
I  in,  200.  19,  1/9 

Conjui 

(.'■'lit-:  2,    5^ 

Contrukoa,  Prin<  e 

1,  5.    17 

6.     21  ;     19.     9  ; 

1  I  ■ 

of,  306.  67 
1  1  before  the 

six  :.  4 

I  [32.9;  158.  17 
:  8,  tli>-  living,  329.   2 

,  221.   19,  note 
-05.   209.   210. 
Criminala,  1  1  .1  strangled, 

46 
Criminala,  male   and  female,  211. 

>:- 
Crowna,  three,  61.  47 
Cucui  .  261.  21 

Cummin,  189.  117;  191.  1 ;2 

4     10 ;    71.    11  ;    137.    iS ; 
223 

wO.   3 

m,  240.  54, 
Cyprua,     (See  Skpphobu.  ) 

Dammab  ben  Netbina,  274.  13 
.,  102.  21 

I I  Hi!--,   184.    91,  note 

D  itee,  51.  30 ;   I  Si.  S3 

231.  41  (/) 
David,  100.   17;  102.  21  ;  223.  2S, 
note  ;  309.  75;  314.  96;  325.  8 
I » avid,  the  son  <>i,  200.  163 
David,  oup  of,  223.  28 
1  i.ivid,  his  suite,  244.  65 
1 »  urn,  the,  84.  15 
Day,  5-  13 
Daya,  gala,  169.  43 

•  in-  living,  49.    26  ;  49.    30 

1  toad,  tlm.se  accounted,  i$.[a);  7i- 14 

1  toath,  angel  of,  140.  25 

Death,  kinds  of,  252.  90 

Death,    those    exempt    from,    10 1. 

20  ;   in.   21 
Death,  at  the  point,  254.  93 
1  teborah,  20.   11 

laed,  the,  150.  S 
Decrees,  2.  4  ;  64.  60 
Decrees,  (Jud's,  69.    6 


INDEX  If. 


■'    !I0.    I 

I  :.    19a     122 
I 

■  '    "•  4- 
Delpbi,  301  . 

I 
Demom  3§ 

71.5 
I3«  43 

I I 

•  ■.    1  ^ 

I  .1 

I I 
Dinah, 

1 1  61.  5° 

i  90.   1 ; 

l 

i  1  .  1  ■ 

1 1 

1  ;  104.  3 

I 

24.   19 

I  ! 

I  I 

104.     ] 

I  ' 

Drink.   1  1  J, 

I  ,  ,  .     ,  ,  . 

D 

.    1 

Earnings,  126.  6 

1  I 

[IJ  2^6.   5 

,  18.  5 ;  235.  41 

1  ,  189.  117 

.  drinking,  iSS.  109 
Ebal  ai  :.   143 

1  7  |    7°«    ^> 

I  ,192 

.  1  ;.  49,  n 

;    r).   151 
1.  2  :   126.  6;  1  vu.   17 
1  1.  42;   192.   1  $4;   197.   157 
l         r,  1:..  104.   146,  Dote 
I .  •:  A  •  iryah,  264.  31 

.  ben  Charsom,  It.,  255.  3  ; 

10 
-.  the,  165.    23>  note 


Eli,  326    1  ' 

•f,  173.  55 
r,  1:..  171,  52 
.1:.,  ben  Byreanns,  17 

I  • 
• .  l:. .  and  Ak;v  t.  i] 

Elijah,  25.   22;   33.  43  ;  133.   II; 

42 
Elijah  by  mi 

Elijah  by  Qematri  t,     ;  1.   25 
1         ,  314.  94 
1  .a     yah,  H 

'  1  (') 
ii 
1         1     as,  the,  155.  12 

■ 
1 

:    1         7.  I05;    238.  .;  I  ; 
IO 

•""    .    1 
1  ■   •  35 

.      ! 

1  125 

Ethan  the  Earth 

1    •     1    1 

;  1   1 

I  ,  5 '  •  37 

!  :  iiir  kindi 

.6 

177.    '  i  I  ;     !    :.. 

I  Lion,  2.  4;   205   209. 

'7" 
Ezpou 

70 
. 
on,  75.  32 

I-'./.-k  ■  .34 

,   140.    26 

Faith. 

mi.   23 

7  :    188.    113;    2l6.   7 
[78.    72 

Father  aud  mother,  honouring,  274. 

13 

2.   1  a,    n 
of  God,  16.  3 
ad  love,  322.  2 

the,   together,    334- 
19   M,  (c),  («) 
Fcvtr,  tertian,  11S.  47 


INDEX  II. 


353 


1 1  (0 
is 

•i° 

.'..  v ••).  77 

.    .'  I.     I  |    ;     I       .1 
.     I   | 

I 

So 

i    . 

46 

I 

1  I,  112.  25 

1  I 

1  a  1 

1  1 

I  :  Id,  jOO. 

I 

P  ;.  20; 

>  l 
1  .  ;  ■    :      ; 88.  34;  a 

;  : 

i  I37.    l8 

I  ,  211.    172, 

Furnace,  4.    1 1 

G  LBRIXL,  4.    1  r  ;  55.   40  {») 

1 

1  :   71 

1  ling  in  the,  75.  $$ 

I  10 

1         .  ,  1 84.  93 

Gehem  .1    :     1 ;    192.    134 ;  311. 

: 

Qeheno  . 

Gehionom,  bo,  28.  31 

G  ..,  wi. ;    165.  33, 

■  :  i  1,  31  8,     I 

Genii,  the  evil,  74.  30 
GentUee,  the,  3.  o  ;  142.  30;  155. 
12;  197-  154 

■  he,  a  prey,  221.  20 
Qentil  ng,  &&,  307.  70 

Germamia,  23S.  49 


33 

.  277.  20 
Qihon,  the  aqueduet  "f,  100.   14 
Girl,  kidnapped,  and  her  maidens, 

27 

,        I        .  -,   kidnapped, 
-45 

,  the,  191.   ! 

21.   ]      :    I96.    I50 

■    Holy  One,  3.  S ;  6.  21 ; 

;>  ;  17-  5 

('■■•'I  and  the  soul,  a  parallel,  Si.  1 
God  and  man,  1 : 5 

imnieoience,  291.  iS 

■   \-  >s 

162.  25  ;  268.  3S 
113.  33 

aith,  107.  9  (h) 
.41 
ly,  4.   10 

ks,  10.  3 

H  M)  LB,  29a    16, 

doth,  the,  252.   S6  ;  292.   21, 
. 
papha,  the,  202.  23 ;  2 

•  .   .   2   .  34  J   46.    iS  ;  72. 

Halacfc  1.   22  ;  2)i.  23  ; 

•  iujah,  219.    I 
II. mi,  children  of,  166.  34,  note 

in,  1S2.  87 
Hamavdil,  340,  24 
Hammering,  21.  13.  note 
Hamnunah,  Rav,  241.  5  5 
Hananiah,    Michael,  and  Azariah, 

4.  11 
Hand,  the,  12.  46 ;  1S7.  106 

.   washing  the,  43.    15  ;  32S. 
22;  355-  17 
ring,  207. 

II  inn.ili,  325.   I  I 

1 1  'A'ree,  }$<}.  20 
Hup,  the,  123.  11 
Haamoneans,  the,  220.  17 

■  23-  15  (") 
Hear,  0  Israel,  1.  3  ;  2.  4 
11     it,  the,  1.  2  ;  332.  14 
Heaven,  who  shali  enter,  47.  23 
He  *r,  326.  11 
Hebron,  19S.  157 
Hegelianism,  20.  10,  note 
Hell,  10.  3 

Z 


354 


INDEX  II. 


■~.  20 
red  fr  >m,  305.  64  ; 

1.4 

Hesekiah,  9  >.  1  ; 

i  ,  1 7.  4 

High-]  • 

210.  1 5, 
i  the  disciple*  of,  21 1.   171 

! 

i  of  the  Temple  doors,  1 1 1 .  3 

B 

l:       .  •     . 

n  He  emp] 

Holy  Land, 

> 

Horn,  (•   5 

]  ■■ 

i  i  of  the, 

11 

1 1 
H 
Hum    .  115 

i,  no.  18. 

:  : 

:     42 
! 
!  •.  V     ,  17.  4;  2 

Ill-bred,  th<     [I? 

i«   7 
1 .  1  •  --.  4.  9 
Immei 

Impn  .  1 7--  5 ;-  : 

Impud        .1     -2i 

Infants,  burial  of,  2&   30 

Insull .  ,  246.  69 

Int'  1  O-  5 

Intolerable  people,  69.   5 

Int  .  33 

.  31.   40  ;  224.  28,  note  ;  307. 

7- 

h,  172.   54  ;  25S.   10  (a) 
Iahmael,   Rabbi,    199.    161,    note; 
203.  note  {■ ) 

Lsb.uuu.-1,  326.   13. 


[ahmaelites,  the,  7 

I    ;■  11  \  4  ) 
.   1  ■    .    7 

-.    1     .     I 

■    .       1      -.        ! 

14  :    300,  .J7.    3  >J    331-    ;'-    '?■'■ 

1 .   20 
[arael  in  I  be  Temple,  -1 1 1.    1 1 
•l  \ 
55 
• 
1 
I  n  lei  and  the  ler  telil 

Israel,  f.    I  IO.    16 

.  the  fall  of,  1  1 

:    IO. 

507. 

l6 

i     ' 
1 
• 

I  I 

Jaund 

Jehovah,  tl  (22.  I 

.    5.    17.    141.  27  j    300. 

J 

■ 

,  the  future,  302.  56 
'•7  (a) 

.'  t,   17.   4  (V) 

21  :    323.    9,   10 

'  '•  33 
1"  unmarried,  38.  4  (0),  (/^ 

!,    149.   5  (b)  ;  243.  62, 
note  ;  299.  44,  note 
Job,  IO.  38  ;  291.  20  ;  298.  43  ;  44. 

325-  9- 
Job,  his  house,  So.  52 
Job  and  b  a  Eri<  nds,  227.  39 
Joel,  14S.  3 

Johauan,  226.  35 


INDEX  II. 


35 


JOQft]  . 

•    I 

•' 
■ 

jr.  4  5 

175 
1 5 
Judab,  '7 

■ 

■ 

•:  ,17  I  ;    21  -.. 

'79 
Judgment,  74.  3  40;  S;. 

30;  10 

Judgment,  tl 

■ 

"  dur .1- 

,  of   the   Talmud, 

■ 

Radish,  3  ;j.  ro 

B  ream,  26. 

'■  45 

'  '  ■  5J 

Killmir  ii"  murd 

ideutal,  208 

1 

,  iot.  20,  n 
l -  ,  16.  4 

K'.i.iii. 

I 

Ladd<  1 .  J  .   "  ;    30 

I  \l,   k$  ;  227.  37 

I         ,  the,  5.   1 

Lamb,  p  .  1   s.  41 

Laud,  purcb  :..  2  \ 

Laughter,  21.   12  [/) 

Law,  1  :  5.  16;  10. 

35;    1  I  ;   121.  8 

125,  126;  252-3.  91,  92;  292. 

23;  293.    20;  315.    IOO;  330.  3, 

IioLtJ 


Law,  book  of  the,  213.  17  5 
l&  71 
52 
the,  ita  fulfilment,  324.  6 

;.  7 

1  3I4«  95 
\.   17 
the,   written  and  oral,  xv.  • 

Law,  :•  ,  322.  1  ;  323.  4 

}.  2,5 
Lentili 
1        .  [21.   6 

kthan,  the,  1     .159 
i  1 79-   75 
.  the  number  of  the,  2 
.  20 
2.  4 
1  .41.  S 

1 

;  ation,  2<j2.  2 1 
.  a,  215.  2 

■■   '3 
Lillith,  9.  32 

•  be,  24.   iS  ;  103.  22 

Lion,  t'n.-,  ■  yg,  79 

.    1  }".   46 

.   ,.  8 
Loan,  a,  185.  94 
Lord,  the,  fear  of,  248.  76 
.  the  utterly,  60.  43 

,111 

w  of,  331.  6,  7 
Luck,  299.  44,  - 
Luck  n  rnu  merit,  214.  17S 
Luz,  295.  33,  note 

MaOHPKLAH,  59.  {'On'  ;  68.  3",   2S7.  7 

Majorities  and  minorities,  24.  18 
M  dadiea  withoul  remedy,  80.  54 
ind  female,  15.  2  (6),  (c) 

d,  330.  4 
Bfamre,  68.  3 
Man,  bis  parte  and  their  derivation, 

66.  61 
Man,  a  magic,  234.  41  (u) 
Man  created  by  Rava,  329.  1. 
Ifanaha,  wealth  in,  218.  14 
ICanaaaeb,   12.   44;  186.  101  ;  258. 

(a)  ;  299.  46 
Manna,  the,  85.  21  ;    1 10.  15  ;    193. 

13* 


X  II. 


M  ur,  the  -  n  xA  R  kTii 

;  >:;- 

.    I  l<> 
.    I  |  \ .   15 

'•  5  \ 
\ 

'■' 

Mr.!;,.  (6) 

M 

•  •  v j-  '- 

Men,  :  .7 ; .  15 

M         .  I  ■        .  1  " 

Merit,  .  1  : 

M  r  1 

M  ■         1  1      13;  102.   21  j 

1 2,  1 3,  14 
Methuo,  2.; 

.  the,  js  j 
M 1  k  and  boney,  171 

.  1  2 

\ 

1  1 
Mirach  -  in  ei  i  ■' 
U 

1    86  ^ 

Mithi  .  44 

Mollusc,  the  pui 

1  j. 
.  the,  11.  - 1 

1  > 

.  341.  26. 

i   10.  36:  30.  5  :  41.  7  : 
101.    1    .  1  .       15,  17;  12 

1       .    :  :      ,     - 

1  :  325.    10;  354. 

mourning  -  ;  261. 

22 

ind  Joehua,  237.  45 

Mualein,  the,  250.  4 


Mother,  the  Jewish,  and  b  1 
"5- 

Mount*   Royal,  b] 

42 
Mourn 
Moui  1  ■ 

:  .    l   1 

Mouth,  the,  and  ;..  291.  19 

Mule, 

40 
M 

1      ;    2  id 

.    :  •  1 .    I  2 

7 

NaCHM 

! 

1         121 

1 
N 

S 

.  6 

14 
,13 
Il8 

:.    1  1 
Ian,  II 

155.    13  j 
271.  4 

35 

25.  11 

■  be  three,  36.  1 
Nimrod,  4.   1 1  ;  55.  40,  no1 

-        • 

"•  39 

'.   raham,  14  \.  30 
.  306.  66 
,  319.  2 
Numbering  Israel,  272.  7 

d,  265.  34 
.'.  rejoicings,  137.   17 

ta,  5.  17 

I,  34.  4S 
11,  216.  9 
-edom,  99.  13 

periors,  77.  43 


A'//. 


357 


1 1     ; 

.  j8.    I  I  ;   2  .-. 

in,  and  the  moun- 

.  :i.  7 
1 
1  .  1  olive  oiL    201. 

7 

13 

•.  s. 

f,  250. 

1  .  -         1 ; 

167 

.  .'  ;'■.   70 
:•   5 

15.  3 
I 

the  four   \\  1 1  <  > 

:  ; 
1  ^ 

45 
Paul,  tl  .  17a. 

...  25 

'    4 
; 

Perjury,  205-  nol 
Perjury,  Rabbinic  ■'.  [$.  i$ 
1 

ii-.  24 
Pharisees,  the,  i.  ;.  27 

P  ta,     103.     21, 

1 

I  .       .     1  - .     •.  ;     123.   IO; 

12 

i  .   the  law  of,  324.    5, 

;  ;i  »») 

149 
1  1   7.  107 

Pitied,  tii-.  mi"  God,  61.  51 

14 
;  I  21  ;  140.   25 

Plenty,  42.   9 


f  Samoa,  16b.  23  («) 
Poor,  charity  to  the,  149,  5 
Portions,  the  tw<»,  19.   10 
P  tive,  312.  85 

P  . '-,   iu   the   world. 

jl 
Potipl  256.  4 

'''•''.'•  » 43*  13 

Poverty  ,68.  2;   138,  21  ;  191.  150 
.   1 

:    [3.    :    .  '    ■•••  :  15.  2  ; 
:  i    307.    71 

225.    31,   • 

ad  public,  334.  19 

■  ,  the,  "i  [arael,  2^0.  Si,  note 
5  ;  '  70.  47 

\  2  ;S.   51 

. 

.    I  ;,0.     2   {") 

21 
;  106-8.  9,  notes 

.  58 
;.  c). 
I,  tli.-  high,  24S.  76 
4.   1 1 
1;    0 
Privilege,  Jewish,  1  i<».  38 
Prophet,  the,  145.  43 
Propheta,   the,    74.   27;   261.  23; 

.   26 
Propheta  to  the  nationa,  in.  20 
Propheta     mi!    prophetesses,    190. 

12; 
Prophetesses,  109.   12 

:     S.    26;    313.    90; 

*  3M:  9»»92»93.  94 

Pi    -■  lyti.-iiiL',  IS.  6 

Proud,  the,  159.    19 ;  231.  41  (k) 

I'rov.  rba,  4.    IO  :  5.   12;  15.  1 

Proverbs,  Solomon's,  260.  20 

Providence,  10.  3S 

Prutah,  149.  5  (0) 

Prying,  7-  32 

Pa  thus,  the,  S.  2S;  141.  2S;  219. 

16  ;  263.  27 
Ptolemy,  King,  and  the  elders,  210. 

I     - 
Punishment,  S.  26  ;  205. 
Punishment,  capital,  177.  6S 
Punishment  asserting  itself,  7S.  47 
Purgation,  174.  61 
Purgatory,  332.   10 

Quails,  76.  37 

Quinsy,  6S.   2 


X  II 


1 1  ..■;:.    i  ;  3 

:  the  B 

R 

I;  "        I      :         ;      I  I 

•    .    [21.    7 

w.\.  95 
. 
1:1'         ,  48.  25 
R  i\  a  and  tfa  |.  28 

1 1      ,  2 14.  178 
1 1 

i 

1;  ■  (. 

R  :o.    55 

I  I  {2.    5 

!>'•  2  1.    3 

;.    8 
Rented  k,  100.   1  : 

:  1  . 

H  ;  13.  50 

R 

I I 

R  i.   1  3 

I  71.13 

I .'  .   1 .   1 1 

I I  11  i 

■1  ;.    1 
i  .   ;         -i 

:       i     ;  117 
44;    170.    :  ■:    186.   104: 

190.    123 

.  : . .  I     ■  I     I  ,  . 

l6 

1 1  .    :  - 

R       tag  from  :  • 

{04.  6] 
1  Jo.  78 ;   18] 

1S6.   100 
R  1  the,  150.  9 

2.     I  :     J    .     26  J     1 99.    101  ; 

5  J 


M.    222.    21 

Ruins, 

:  .*.    <  ) 
:  i,  the,  in  I      •  ■!.  27".   19 
' 1 
Ruth,  i<  2.  21 

Sabbath,  the,  ;.  7;  12.45;  154.  note 
(final   ;    1 :  .1.17; 

60 
E 

*3 

.    ■ 

i  1 :  ' 
1  1 

in) 

.  1  ■  ■ 
Sandal] 

.  162  j 

Sarah, 

.1 

'      : 

.    I      v     21 

t  1  77 

;.    20 

the,    11.    .: 

1    .  251.  So 

3 

■  ).  53 
... 
•  m,  the,  xvii.,  xviii. 

rib,    24  5.     74  ;    26S.     3S, 

269.  41 

.  210.  169,  note 
unbroken,  1 1 1 .  22 
Serpent,  the,  3.  8;  25.  20(6); 

47;  103.  23;  296.  37 

[39.  21;  232,  41  (/1) 
.Serving  and  uot  serving  Gud,  219.  15 


INDEX  II. 


359 


6;  iS.  6 
Billel,   the  disciples 

Shamm  boola  of,  ^i. 

Sham* 

I;  15.  2,  note ; 
I 
to;    133.   II  ; 

J.  3S 
40  (aa) 

Shemonah-Esreh,  221.    I  1 

1  I 

. 

E 

.;    .    1 1 

7 j  '35-   1(|' 

.   i 

Shimoi  . 

\2         j    121.    J  ■    1  IS-   10 

V  59 

.  -■  . 

5    1  1 
i,  40.  5  (U) 
■    .  ■ 

ihetach,   211. 

I  !    I 

1       ;;,  48  ;  80.  24 
■  24 
.    J  JO.   l6  {b) 

:,  89.  36 

:    14 

!•  16 
1.  2 
;  >5.  7 
Skirts  (see  Fringes) 

.  5.  20,  notes 

17 

.-.[-.    28.  21 

•..el,  32.  41 
1  ;  1    ■   139 

ind  waking,  309.  76 
Snails,  3.  8 


Solomon,  44.  15   (b)  ;  93.  S,  note  ; 
99.  n  ;   1;  5. 1  ;  260.  20 

Solomon's  ring,  100.  23  (6) 

araoh,  315.  9S 
.16.  6 

:.   I42.   29 
.  .    I38.   21 

1.  8 

Soul,    the,  6.  20,  22  ;  after  death, 

1  i_\  29  :   322.  1 
Soul,  the,  the  salt  of  the  body,  00. 

in  tears,  14S.  3 

[20.  2 

.  [49.  6 

.  ;.  s 
•.  the  11  ly,  145.  4  1 
Spirits,  .  J33.  41  (r) 

■it,  271.  5 
. 

I,  2S9.  13 
.  - 

'  v  *5 
S6 
.:.  112.  26 
I,  17c  67,  note 

.:.  10 
.27 

t,  327.  iS 

.  208.  168 

of  weakening,   51. 
39 

>i  30.  37 

1  o-  33 
Strut,  thoe  .   .  1.  29 

.  2.  4;  9.  31  ;  13.   49,  note; 

1    ,  19;  143.  32;  173-  ^°;  190. 

]  J  2 

Study  in  silence  and  aloud,  224.  29 

Studying,  SS.  35 

Sumchus,  190.  124 

Sun,  the,  its  circuits,  68.  4 

Swine,  246.  68 

Sympl  .  00.  4 

Synagogues,  77.  41  ;  304.  61,  62 

Synagogue,  the,  in  Alexandria,  273. 

II 
Synagogue,  going  to,  and  returning, 

338.  22,  note 

Tabbbkaclk,  the,  3.  5 
Tabernacles,    Feast    of,    114.    34  ; 

167.  40  ;   168.  42 
Tables,  the,  oi  atone,  101.    iS 


:6o 


IXDEX  II. 


Tadmor,  the  men  of,  24 1.  56 

1        21 
.  immoral,  1   6.   1 5  - 

Talmud,  the,  \ii.  \:v.,  xviL, 

1     :. 

Talmud,  the  Babylonian,  2;.    15  ; 

7 

|l.  2 

Tamar  and  1 1  J.    1  7 

1 _ 

; .    l:  l,  I53.     II    ('/) 

Tank, 

Targuma,  tfa 
Tarj 

1  4.  30 

I    113, 

'1 

J 

".  60 

l    ;     l  ~    .     ■ 

i 

Temple, 

'    - 

'■ 

P,  tfa    .    Il: 

rah,  jK-rtii  '-3 

40 

Id,  51 
-  thai  are  we  ik,  v  1 .   3 

•  (y) 
Thankagivii 
7.  7 

T 

• 
T< milt  20,  notes 

both,  the,  xiii. 
•  10th,  the,  xiii.,  xvii. 
T  v  .  1:   ,.  23a  41  (:>) 

2  5 
Tovi  ill,  R  ibbi,  and  hie  wife,  45.  (c) 
Town,  a,  134,   12 
Traditi  >n,  28,  31  ;  52.  note 

•  ton,  57.  40 
Transmigrations,  325-32S. 


•  -  re,  183.   1    1 
Tribea,  t;  ■    \\ 

Truth.  45. 

.  1 3 
Taipori,  171.  49 

I'kv a.  M  ir,  a  mo  1( 

Unix  lief,  is  1.  93 

Understanding,  191,    [39 
Qr  of  i 

Vi  11.  of  I  '.  44 

'■ 

Villai: 
Vine,  • 

.     I      : 

beard   all  over  the 
»3    13 

:    1  13.  30 
.   5 .    17;    21.    12 

1  1 
W  iti  p,  drawing, 

U  .'.    I  \  2.     30 

i   (r) 
.  running. 

•  Ion  of,  30. 
I  I 

• 

-     IO 

.'         42 

.  J  o.    1 0 

Wilder:  the,  l88.    1 12 

Win-,    4.     10;     71.     II  : 
141  ;  200.    163. 

b  urel  of,  with  oil,  63.  59 
Wine,  the  eaaki  at,  239.  53 
138.  21 
their  worda,  17.  4  (c) 
Wise,  the  dil  2  }.  15 

Wiae  man,  the,  1 1 7.  39 
s,  305.  65 

ty,  211.    172,  note 
Witch,  231.  41 

Witchcraft,  women  bent  on,  29.  32  ; 
232.  (m) 


INDEX  II. 


/i 


Witchcraft,  229.  41,  1 
Witnen  )  ;  204.  205. 

,22.   14 
,109.  13,  • 

\v,,if, 

Woman,  304;  60, 

Woman  grave, 

;o 
Worn  • 

•  1  -'  :.  notea 

j;  232.  41  (»),  (") 

autiful,  70.  10 

26 
.  • 

ad,  20.   1 1 

.  22  ).  27 
•     17 

Word  153 

.    1 

n,  5.   16 
.  the,  it*  in<  .  506.  CS 

World,  the,  its  eupporta,  6a  45 
'.  44;   117.  41 


Tannai,  234.  41  (»•) 
Yannai,  King,  274.   14 

Yehudah  the  Holy,  xv.,  xvi. 
Yehudah,   Rabbi,   ben   Elaei,   17S. 

70 
Yoohanan  Rabbi,  23.    16 ;   45.    1  x, 

((/);   77.  42  ;    184.  93;  211.  171  ; 
220.    IS 

Yochanan,  235.  41  (y) 
Yoahua,  Rabbi,  126.  7,  note 

•  37 

,  R  ibbi,  270.  2 
Young  men  and  women,  171.  51 

Zadkikt.,  an  angelic  teacher,  57.  (ae) 
Zadok,  Rabbi,  [88.   113 
Zarept  1,  the  widow  of,  325,  u 

1  ih,  the  blood  of,  275.  15 
Zelophehad,  daughters  of,  2S2 
Zigud,  48.  25 
Zion,  r        •   s,  72.  20 
Zira,  I;  15  (6);  1S3.  91 

Z  an,  197.   157 
Zoma,  Ben,  75.  33 
Z  ireab.  and  Eshtaol,  31.  39 
Zulieka,  256.  4 


THE    END. 


PRINTED    HY    BALL  \  -.  I  YNK,    HANSON    AND   CO 

El  IN  BURGH    AND    LONDON. 


